• ACU director of ministry events Dr. Brady Bryce (’95) promoted 2012 Summit while helping host lunch for seven area ministers, including Rick Atchley (’78) of The Hills Church of Christ and Marcus Brecheen (’84) of Gateway Church. • Admissions counselor David Dietrich hosted a bowling night in July 2011 for 68 high school students from The Hills Church of Christ in North Richland Hills. • ACU hosted a pre-game party at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington in September 2011 for more than 700 alumni, students and friends prior to the Wildcats’ football game with the University of North Alabama in the Lone Star Football Festival. The next day, the university’s Experience ACU event for future students and their parents – also at Cowboys Stadium – attracted 650 guests. Afterward, students boarded buses to head to Abilene for an ACU Bound campus visit. • In October 2011, Body & Soul director Terri Aldriedge and Leslie Hayes of the Honors College toured several area schools, including Grace Prep and Southwest Christian. They also made presentations at The Birdville Center for Technology and Advanced Learners, which provides instruction for all six high schools in the Birdville and Keller ISDs. • Bob (’75) and trustee Belinda (Halbert ’75) Harmon, and Andrew (’09) and Abigail (Goldsmith ’09) Harmon attended an event in January 2012 at the Fort Worth Stock Show with many other area alumni. Door prizes included ACU T-shirts, one of which Kevin Walters (’86) planned to wear while running in the February 2012 Cowtown Marathon. • Alumni and other local volunteers helped staff 29 College Night programs by the end of February 2012. Jayne (Montgomery ’83) Orr traveled the longest distance – to Vernon, Texas – to help at an event where more than 100 students expressed an interest in ACU.
SAN ANTONIO AREA • More than 60 people attended a Freshman Send-Off Party in August 2011 hosted by trustee Alan Rich ('86) and his wife, Janice (Harris ’88), trustee Steve Mack (’82) and his wife, Sandy (Brown ’82), and Chris (’87) and Mary Beth (deSteiguer ’88) Cuevas. Giveaways included a dorm fridge and microwave as well as the hosts presenting each student with a gas card as a gift. Preston Woolfolk (’10), Sylvia (Tucker ’10) Mack and Ryan Mack (’10) also spoke. • More than 200 people attended the ACU in San Antonio recruiting event in October 2011 at the Oak Hills Church North Central campus. Ross and Valinda (McAlister ’81) Bacon, Herb and Jennifer (England ’85) Allen, Preston Woolfolk (’10), Mark (’83) and Ellen (Gilliam ’83) Abshier and Cecil Eager (’71) provided refreshments. Ministers Rich Ronald and Ben Davis graciously opened their building to ACU for the event. • ACU won the Boerne Elementary School PTO fundraising event, thanks to trustee Alan Rich (’86) and others. They rallied to beat Baylor, Texas A&M and The University of Texas at Austin. ACU will be highlighted at the school all year with fun facts, the Wildcat fight song and an ACU flag.
• Monthly Wildcat Wednesday luncheons have featured alumni speakers such as Leon McNeil (’83), who was spotlighted in the September 2011 issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine. He shared how he used a football scholarship to ACU to leave inner-city San Antonio and after returning to teach, started City Kids Adventures. His program involves about 150 at-risk children in a year-round mentoring program that includes hunting, fishing, traveling to college campuses, etc. • Alumni luncheons are great for networking: JT Aspra (’11) was hired by DOCUmation a little more than a week after attending an ACU event. DOCUmation hires and provides internship opportunities for ACU students through Louis Scantland, Lee Scantland (’88), Jon Scantland (’09), Scott Woolfolk (’87), Preston Woolfolk (’10), Hunter Woolfolk (’09) and other family members and alumni within the company. • Valinda (McAlister ’81) Bacon, Jim McKissick (’83) and Preston Woolfolk (’10) serve on the ACU Alumni Advisory Board. Together, they have formed an ACU San Antonio Team committed to attending all alumni meetings, helping invite and bring others to luncheons, and attending and volunteering for local ACU functions. Other members: Marie (Milstead ’48) Shipp, Sunny (Courington ’65) Stephens, John Rich (’74), Tom Brite (’80), Mark Abshier (’83), Matt Lair (’83), Darrell Stewart (’83), Jon Anderson (’86), Andy Glenn (’98), Kevin Thompson (’99), Chris Lair (’06), Andrew Voiles (’09), Brian Billingsley (’10), Tyler Truax (’11), Ryan Mack (’08), Sylvia Mack (’10), Mark Tidwell (’85) and Greg Jones (’99). • More than 160 volunteer hours have been logged by alumni such as Voiles, Williams and Shay Aldriedge (’10). Their help in more than 30 college fairs and many recruiting events have resulted in more than 1,000 South Texas students beginning the application process with ACU, triple the number of applications at this time last year. • Sixty people attended a Preparing for College seminar hosted by MacArthur Park Church of Christ. Minister Mark Abshier (’83) helped set up audio/video equipment, greeted parents and shared his personal experiences as an alumnus and as a parent of a current student.
HOUSTON AREA
LER KIM RITZENTHA
• More than 90 people attended a Student Send-Off Party in July 2011 at Memorial Church of Christ, hosted by Mike Avery (’98), Ron (’80) and Lee (Ligon ’80) Booker, Steve Sandifer (‘70), Dana Wright (‘74), James (’03) and Tiffany Wright. • David Meredith (’95) and Conner Halstead (’10) were just two members of the annual alumni volunteer force who represented ACU at 25 different college fairs across the greater Houston area and College Station last fall. Julie (Glover ’90) Parker, Justin (’06) and Amanda (Pierce ’06) Scott, and James Wright (’03) volunteered at multiple college fairs. • Thirty-eight alumni gathered in September 2011 for food and fellowship, and to hear trustee and keynote speaker Judge Steve Smith (’74). • College of Biblical Studies dean Dr. Jack Reese (’73) was the keynote speaker and host at an October 2011 breakfast for 36 Houston-area ministry staff members, including Eddie Boyer (’99), Kelly (Brophy ’06) Edmiston, Andy
6), Lindsay Johnna Goen (’0 ere among Edwards (’05), w i nl 4) Ke ’(0 , hi 11 bi 20 r Za n In Septembe ar 4) and Marjo n Glasscock (’0 ts at the Lone St Hall (’04), Gare who cheered for the Wildca . on ns gt thousands of fa adium in Arlin l in Cowboys St Football Festiva
Spell (’85) and others. Reese talked with them about the bright future of today’s churches. • Lowell Good (’87) joined 45 fellow school administrators and counselors in October 2011 at a lunch in Houston’s Galleria area where ACU chief information and planning officer Kevin Roberts (’88) spoke about ACU’s mobile-learning initiative. • Dr. Gary (’80) and Awilda (Randolph ’80) Acuff, Terry (’74) and Essie (Charles ’75) Childers, Ray (’53) and Nancy (Waters ’53) Hansen, Monty (’98) and Heather (Teague ’98) McCulley, Dr. Wade (’89) and Suzanne (Koski ’89) Richardson, and trustee Judge Steve Smith (’74) were among some of the ACU alumni who hosted a Purple and White Christmas party in December 2011 at A&M Church of Christ in College Station for 55 prospective students and parents. • In December 2011, Dr. Frank and Sara (Offutt ’65) Eggleston hosted more than 65 potential students and parents in their West University home for a Purple and White Christmas party. Callie Adams (’08) and Austin Cunningham (’03) also attended.
AUSTIN AREA • Paul Carrozza (’85) spoke at the Austin on the Move luncheon in April 2011 for alumni and friends, sharing information about how he started his successful business, RunTex, from the trunk of his car when he was a student at ACU. • Dr. Grady (’89) and Amy (Jackson ’89) Bruce hosted an April 2011 dinner event in their home for high school seniors to learn more about ACU’s Body & Soul program for pre-health students. Body & Soul director Terri Aldriedge attended, as did Demetrius Collins, D.P.T. (’04). • Westover Hills Church of Christ youth minister Christian Pimentel (’01) brought 146 students to ACU Leadership Camps in June 2011. • Kenneth (’85) and Carmen (Andrews ’85) Plunk provided a summer internship for ACU student Ravanne Harris at their company, KPI Consulting. • Albert (’71) and Vicki (Rushing ’74) Dennington provided a summer internship for ACU student Ethan Olsen at their company, Passport Health. • ACU alumna and entrepreneur Darbie Angell (’03) provided an internship for ACU student Kelsey Davis at her company, Cru Dinnerware. • New ACU parents Debbie and Peter Lloyd opened their home in August 2011 for a send-off party in honor of Austin-area freshmen. Jim Gulley (’84) co-hosted. • Belton ISD board president Randy Pittenger (’80), along with Tim Stephens (’82) and Kaci Flores (’09), again made a great team representing ACU at the Mid-Tex College Night in Belton. • Lake Travis ISD board member Lisa (Scott ’86) Johnson joined admissions counselor Robert McCall (’08) to represent ACU at the Lake Travis College Fair. • Brantley (’01) and Jana (Fulenwider ’02) Starr, Ty (’02) and Charis (Dillman ’02) Dishman, John T. Wright (’96) and Samuel Palomares (’11) provide great leadership for the ACU in Austin team. • Gilbert Tuhabonye (’01) spoke to Austin on the Move alumni and friends luncheon in September 2011, sharing his vision to bring clean water to Burundi via the Gazelle Foundation and Run for the Water. • In November 2011, Ryan Crowder (’04) and Nathan Jerkins (’05) shared their vision for bringing live theatre to the northern greater Austin area through their Penfold Theatre Company. Penfold has hosted numerous “ACU nights” at their theatre productions. • Waco alumni Steve and Kay (Coffee ’81) Williams, Steve (’72) and Judy (Jones ’75) and Bill (’70) and Deeanne (Nutt ’72) Litton hosted a December 2011 Purple and White reception at the Crestview Church of Christ. Prospective students were delighted to meet 1941 alumna Vivian Litton, who shared her ACU experiences.
Ready to arrange an internship for ACU students to work in your company? Hire a future graduate? Host a Purple and White Party for future students in your hometown? University relations managers (URMs) can help you make connections back on campus. Contact one today! AC U TO D AY
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