Grace and poise: Two words that encapsulate the personality, demeanor and work ethic of Lauren Powell, Master of Business Administration graduate. Coming from a long line of former ACU Wildcats, Lauren is more than just a legacy kid. She’s a driven, compassionate and most of all, striving young professional in the world of healthcare administration. Graduating with her MBA from ACU Online in December 2024, Lauren says she has always considered herself an avid learner and seeker of hard academic challenges, no matter the cost or level of difficulty. Sharing her story of what makes ACU different from any other community or Christian university, Lauren hopes to inspire other young women to ‘keep going, to never give up on their dreams and to always have faith in God.
Growing Up Purple and White
As a young kid growing up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Lauren can’t remember a time when ACU was not a part of the conversation. Being a third-generation Wildcat, Lauren recalls hearing the romantic stories of her grandparents studying in the library, or her parents meeting their significant other along the paths of the Abilene campus or even listening to her aunts and uncles’ adventures during their time at ACU. Needless to say, the school colors ran vibrantly through their family – and Lauren was excited to join the club.
“My parents, thankfully, never pushed me to go to ACU,” Lauren says. “They actually let me figure it out. However, it really was a no-contest situation. ACU had what I wanted, and it made me feel like I was honoring my family to go and continue that legacy.”
After graduating high school, Lauren packed her bags and headed out west toward the infamous campus that glowed purple and white. Wanting to become a doctor in the future, Lauren decided to take classes in biology and chemistry while simultaneously earning her degree in music performance with an emphasis on piano. Having taken classes since she was a child, Lauren sought to become a well-rounded individual in hopes of impressing medical schools with her rigor and aptitude for science and the arts. And yet, sadly, it was not meant to be. Shortly before graduating, Lauren realized that it would be difficult for her to enter into a medical program. After all, the application process was tough, long and required her to completely devote herself to ‘just making it in.’ Alas, she had to make new plans.
“I always wanted to be a medical doctor,” Lauren says. “But, when you get rejection after rejection, you start to wonder if maybe God is trying to tell you something.”
Still, though, Lauren’s passion for healthcare and medicine did not stop. She continued her efforts and wedged her way into various medical scribe roles to gather the experience and skills she might need one day. As the years went on, Lauren started to think about her next steps. Where was she going? What path did she want to take? Was medical school meant for her right now? Talking with her parents about what she was feeling, Lauren decided to make a move and go for her MBA degree.
“The doctors I was working with told me that I shouldn’t be wasting my time because I was a smart girl who had something to offer,” Lauren said. “So, after praying and talking things out with my parents, I decided to look for MBA programs that would work with my schedule while simultaneously preparing me for other roles in healthcare.”
As one could imagine, it didn’t take long for Lauren to remember her alma mater. After a few quick calls and discussions, Lauren applied and was accepted into the online Master of Business Administration program with a concentration in healthcare administration. The perfect combination for a student like Lauren, who wanted to make a difference in healthcare while keeping her clinical role.
Keeping Her Dream Alive
Throughout the program, Lauren learned quite a bit about the importance of healthcare administrators in the clinical world. For one, she learned that it took a certain amount of logical thinking, organizational skills and loads of patience; aspects that sounded a lot like her. As a self-proclaimed ‘type-A’ person, Lauren says she felt right at home in a graduate program, surrounded by professors who expected her to try her best at all times. Having experienced this type of Christian community in the past during her on-campus years, Lauren says she recognized the same attitudes online. From her colleagues to her professors, she was being formed into the person and professional she always wanted to be.
“When you’re in college, you are just barely getting to know yourself,” Lauren said. “But, when you’re in graduate school, you start to see yourself differently. You know yourself and so, you start looking for like-minded individuals that also want to better themselves, like you. ACU Online had that. They had the professors and students that could get me to where I wanted to be.”
After a few years, tears and papers along the way, Lauren finally did it – and walked the stage (again) in December 2024, with her head held high. Surrounded by her family and friends, Lauren beamed unlike any other time before. And while her dream of attending medical school is far from over, Lauren says it’s times like this that make you wonder why God allows for certain things to happen, and not for others.
“I kept asking myself, ‘What is God trying to show me?’,” Lauren says. “‘Why won’t He just open the doors I want?’ And it’s moments like this, where I am now, that give me a glimpse into why. The answer is simple: He is in control. And our job, even when it’s hard to do, is to obey.”
Today, Lauren celebrates three years of working with Meridian Health Partners in Dallas, Texas. Working her way up throughout her time in the program, Lauren now serves as a Clinical Support Manager with high hopes of being promoted. Aiming to inspire those around her to reach their full potential, too, Lauren is excited to graciously represent God’s promise and the ACU difference in all spaces and places she enters, today and tomorrow.
“I am so proud to continue the ACU legacy in our family and would absolutely encourage my children one day to follow in my footsteps if they so choose,” Lauren said.
Have you ever considered obtaining your Master of Business Administration degree? Contact us today. We’d love to share what our program has to offer you.