Category: Features

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 … 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 a teacher and … Continued
Social work major finds life-changing opportunity in Oxford
Cayla Savari took an opportunity that changed her life in a personal way during the already life-changing experience of studying abroad in Oxford, England. In fall 2018, Cayla, a social work major whose home is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, decided to take her studies abroad and experience the culture and diversity of Oxford. She took classes … 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 have a few stories to tell at Children’s Art and Literacy Festival
Once upon a time – on May 21, 2015, to be exact – the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas designated Abilene as the official Storybook Capital of America. This week’s Children’s Art and Literacy Festival, or CALF, is one of the reasons why, and Abilene Christian University characters are playing their part to … 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 … Continued
Social work degree leads to shift in career path for Medina
Ruben “Andy” Medina (’14 M.S.S.W.) found his social work degree to be the perfect segue into a career in the medical field. After completing his master’s degree at ACU, Medina spent two years as a medical social worker at a Level 3 trauma center in his hometown of El Paso. “The work was extremely rewarding,” … Continued
Bruce twins go their separate ways – for a good cause
Twins Jessica and Elayna Bruce did not plan to attend ACU. They wanted to “break the trend” in their family of ACU alumni. But with their sights set on missions and studying abroad, ACU won them over, and they are glad it did. The strength and tenacity of their older brother Jackson, who has autism, … Continued
ACU receives grant from Mellon Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities
Abilene Christian University has received a $103,000 grant to digitize and distribute 30 outstanding works of scholarship, republishing them in a format that readers can use on computers, tablets and mobile phones at no charge. ACU is one of only seven universities to receive this grant. This project is part of the Humanities Open Book program … Continued