Category: Alumni News
Alumna artist makes her mark in Honduras with abstract creations
In Honduras where contemporary and realistic traditional art is the normal, Helga Sierra (’12) has surprised the market with her abstract creations. “There’s not a lot of art education here, which has been one of the main hurdles with doing abstract art,” Helga said. “Here people are used to seeing portraits or landscapes, and if … Continued
Alumna grows craft fair to benefit local businesses
Achieving your dreams is never a straight path, and Jennifer (Fuentes ’06) Harmel, creator of A People Party Productions, has traveled a winding road as her business has grown from a single pop-up market to a full-on marketing tool for businesses. Jen started her business in 2013. At the time, she was … Continued
Social media expertise pays off for ACU grad Ryan Cantrell
Many young men grow up dreaming of playing in the major leagues. While most do not make it, ACU alumnus Ryan Cantrell (’11) is doing the next best thing. Cantrell, a Fort Worth native who earned a degree in broadcast journalism, works for the Texas Rangers as a social media coordinator where he assists with … Continued
Wildcats, Rangers fans gather for ACU Night at the Ballpark
Nearly 900 Abilene Christian University and Texas Rangers fans turned out last night for the annual Arlington version of ACU Night at the Ballpark. The home team rallied big in the ninth inning but fell short, 12-11, against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. Men’s basketball coach Joe Golding (’99) threw the game’s ceremonial … Continued
Leap of faith, mom’s encouragement took Gonzalez on ‘impossible’ journey
Sam Gonzalez (’93) remembers clearly the words he spoke when Bible professor Carl Spain called, inviting Sam to enroll at ACU. That would be impossible, Sam said, because his family didn’t have the money. But Sam also remembers the words his mother spoke when Sam told her the gist of the conversation. “You’re going to … Continued
Third Day of Giving makes ACU history
The ACU community broke a record for the university’s third Day of Giving on April 9: ACU received more than 1,000 gifts that, thanks to matching funds, totaled more than $268,000 to help current students. That’s the most gifts given in a single day to the university in its history. “We are thrilled to have … Continued
Speech-language alumna creates online help for Parkinson’s patients
April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month and probably no one in the country is observing it in a more dramatic way than ACU alumna Hannah (Orozco ’08) Grassie. On April 1 – no fooling – Hannah launched a private telemedicine practice to offer one-on-one therapy sessions with PD patients via a confidential video conference. Hannah’s … Continued
Blanton, Wilson García honored on Alumni Day
Emotions were high and standing ovations were plentiful at the 2019 Alumni Day luncheon on Sunday, Feb. 17, which honored Michael Blanton (’73) as Outstanding Alumnus of the Year, and Kara Wilson García (’07) as Young Alumna of the Year, both of whom were praised as compassionate and kind servant leaders. Both were visibly … Continued
Alumnus dubbed ‘catering whiz’ brings talents to President’s Circle Dinner
Attendees at the President’s Circle Dinner on Feb. 16, 2019, were treated to dinner catered by Vestals Catering out of Dallas, Texas, helmed by chef Jordan Swim (’07). In many ways, the job was a way of coming full circle for Swim and his time studying abroad as a student. His experiences in Oxford, England, … Continued