Motivational speaker, author and writing consultant Nika Maples (‘96) will be speaking at an Abilene Christian University Chapel event at 11 a.m. on April 10 in Moody Coliseum, discussing a lifelong journey that began here.

During Maples’ sophomore year at ACU, she suffered a Lupus-induced stroke that led to quadriplegia. Her life was turned upside down as she was transported to the Intensive Care Unit at the Fort Worth Osteopathic Hospital and was unable to speak, swallow or blink. A year after the stroke, Maples returned to campus. 

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She went on to receive her Master of Arts in English education at Columbia University, taught English in public schools for ten years and was named Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2007 by the Texas Education Agency. 

Today, Maples speaks and writes full time. She has written five books and came to campus in 2010 to discuss her book Twelve Clean Pages, which tells the story of her recovery and the lessons she learned along the way. She now coaches writers how to advance their Kingdom-focused writing projects through a program called The Keep Writing Course. 

“Nika Maples is one of the most amazing people I know,” said Craig Fisher (‘92), associate vice president for advancement and alumni. “Twelve Clean Pages is one of the best books I have ever read, and I’m excited to have her back on campus to speak with our students.”

After speaking at Chapel, Maples will spend time with education students interested in pursuing careers in English education and writing and students from the Lynay group.

Learn more about Nika Maples and her journey. 

— Connor Mullins

March 27, 2023