Another early start to the day with the Exhibit Hall. I had the opportunity to chat with Maria Christon, representing Abilene Christian University.

If you are curious about all the educational programs ACU has for you, this is a must-listen for educators, paraeducators, and more.

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Transcript

Note: The audio was transcribed using Whisper Desktop on Windows, with Google Gemini Pro 2.5 Pro processing it to organize it.

Miguel Guhlin: Good morning. This is Miguel Guhlin. I’m here at the Education Service Center, Region 9, Collaboration for Growth conference. I’m walking the exhibit hall and I’ve run across the Abilene Christian University K-12 education booth. They’ve got an interesting post that says “Advance your education career. 100% online programs for emerging leaders in Texas.” I’m here with Maria Christon. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do for Abilene Christian University.

Maria Christon: I work for the K-12 Partnership Division in our corporate and community partnerships. We offer a range of 100% online degree programs for educators, from bachelor’s all the way through doctorate degrees.

ACU’s Online Programs for Educators

Maria Christon:

• Bachelor’s Degrees: We have a program for students who have earned dual credit in high school or through a P-Tech program. We take their college credits and put them into our teacher pipeline for a Bachelor of Integrated Studies. We also help paraprofessionals who are already in the classroom go into the teaching field. We offer them a Bachelor of Integrated Studies with a teaching certificate embedded into the program, so it’s one less step they have to take after graduation.
• Master’s Degrees: We have two tracks for our master’s degrees. The first is a Master’s in Instruction and Learning for newer teachers who want to develop their craft. The second is a Master’s in Educational Leadership for those looking to go down the administrative path. We also offer a Master’s in Sports Leadership for coaches who might want to become an athletic director or take on another leadership position. For that program, we’re partnered with the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies, which makes it fun.
• Doctorate Degrees: We have Doctorates in Educational Leadership and Organizational Leadership for those who want to pursue the principal or superintendent route.

Addressing Applicant Concerns

Miguel Guhlin: What would be the top three questions that you get from applicants?

Maria Christon: One of the first is about time: “I don’t have time. How am I going to do this?”. What’s wonderful about ACU’s online programs is that 95 percent of our students are full-time working professionals, so we know what that means. Our flexible program allows you to achieve your goals.

Another concern is cost: “How am I going to be able to afford it?”. I’m happy to say that even though we’re a private university, which makes people nervous about cost, we are in line with other online programs. Yet we do offer that “white glove service” and are very supportive of our students.

The third thing is just managing it all, which goes along with time and money. We really walk you through the process and help you apply for the FAFSA. We offer grants, aids, and scholarships. At ACU, we help walk you through those barriers.

The ACU Support Network

Miguel Guhlin: I know from my own experience that sometimes you feel supported in university systems, but other times you feel like you’re out there by yourself. I’m guessing ACU has a pretty developed support network.

Maria Christon: Absolutely. We help people from all over, no matter their background. And no matter where you’re at educationally, we are definitely there to assist, support, and help you reach your goals.

I travel all over Texas to regional service centers, and ACU has a partnership with several of them, which offers an extra discount off tuition and a free application fee.

How to Find Out More

Miguel Guhlin: Maria, thank you so much for all the info. If folks wanted to find out more, what’s the best way to get a hold of Abilene Christian University? I see there is a website at the bottom. Is that right?

Maria Christon: That’s perfect, yes. If you forget that web address, you can search for “ACU online” and that will come up.

Miguel Guhlin: Thank you. I appreciate you sharing.