ACU INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AND
STUDY ABROAD TEAM
Directors & Coordinators
Mark Barneche
Executive Director for International Education and Study Abroad
Mark began his journey with study abroad in 2001 as a student at Pepperdine University in Heidelberg, Germany. After living in Mito, Japan, and New York City, Mark spent 10 years working with Pepperdine University’s international program in Lausanne, Switzerland and transitioned to ACU in August 2023.
As an alumnus of Pepperdine’s Department of Religion, ACU’s Graduate School of Theology, and a doctoral candidate at SIT, Mark is most interested in the intersection of culture, faith, and spiritual formation through the study abroad experience.
Lindsay Snyder
Study Abroad Coordinator
Lindsay studied abroad in Leipzig, Germany in Spring 2014 and graduated from ACU with a degree in English in 2015. She lived in Leipzig for six years and was the on-site coordinator for ACU in Leipzig for four of those years. She completed a master's degree in Global Studies & International Relations from Northeastern University and currently works as ACU's Study Abroad Coordinator in Abilene.
"My favorite memory from my semester abroad in Leipzig was befriending a local restaurateur named Helga. Several years later, when I was living in Leipzig again, I was able to reconnect with Helga, who had since retired from her forty-plus years running a small German restaurant in western Leipzig. She still lived in the flat directly above the restaurant space."
ACU - Leipzig Ambassador Team
Ava Morris, Leipzig Fall 2023, Ambassador Team
Ava is a junior Business Management major from Austin, TX. Her favorite memories of study abroad include playing on a playground on the top of a mountain in the Swiss Alps and having karaoke parties in the Villa.
Email Ava
Meet with Ava
Henry Johnson, Leipzig Fall 2024, Ambassador Team
Henry is a sophomore Marketing major from Boerne, Texas. His favorite memories from study abroad include smashing plates at a dinner during an EFT in Greece and spending afternoons exploring different cafes throughout Leipzig.
Email Henry
Meet with Henry
ACU Oxford - Ambassador Team
Evelina Higbie, Oxford Fall 2024, Ambassador Team
Evelina is a junior Christian Ministry and Psychology double major from Haslet, Texas. Her favorite study abroad memory is watching the northern lights in Finland! “I never thought I'd get to cross that off my bucket list!”
Email Evelina
Meet with Evelina
Laci Jackson, Oxford Spring 2024, Ambassador Team
Laci is a junior Theatre Education and Theatre Design/Tech double major from Grapevine, Texas. Her favorite memories include hiking in the Lake District, exploring the coast of Cinque Terre, Italy, hanging out with her best friends in Port Meadow, and having the best high tea in Oxford!
Email Laci
Meet with Laci
ACU Valencia - Ambassador Team
Gracen Davis, Oxford Spring 2024, Ambassador Team
Gracen is a junior majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Mansfield, Texas. Some of her favorite study abroad memories include petting horses in Port Meadow, sliding down waterfalls in the Lake District, and cruising along the Amalfi Coast.
Email Gracen
Meet with Gracen
Mia Farach, Oxford Fall 2024, Ambassador Team
Mia is a junior Bible major from The Woodlands, Texas. Some of her favorite memories from studying abroad include scootering down the coast of a beach in France, sailing a catamaran in Greece, and rappelling down a cliff in the Lake District!
Email Mia
Meet with Mia
ACU Study Abroad Operations Team
Alyssa Polnac, Leipzig Fall 2023, Marketing Team
Alyssa is a senior Advertising & Public Relations major from Rogers, TX. Her favorite memory from studying abroad is hiking through the Swiss Alps.
Georgia Siegel, Leipzig Fall 2023, Administrative Team
Georgia is a senior Business Management major with minors in Music and Computer Science from Las Vegas, NV. Her favorite memory from living abroad was spending ten days exploring the Norwegian fjords in a camper van.
Lili Rhodes, Leipzig Fall 2023, Recruitment Team
Lili is a junior Marketing and Business Management double major with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from Fort Worth, TX. Her favorite memory from living abroad was spending a weekend hiking Bavarian Gorges in the pouring rain.
Langley Smith, Montevideo Fall 2023, Administrative Team
Langley is a junior Political Science and History double major from Murrieta, CA. Her favorite memory from her semester abroad in Montevideo is celebrating her 20th birthday in Patagonia (the Argentine side) with a group dinner.
Sam O’Quinn, Oxford Fall 2022, Administrative Team
Sam is a senior Financial Management major with minors in Entrepreneurship and Bible from Keller, TX. His favorite memory is eating gelato with his friends in Cinque Terre, Italy, while watching the sunset and listening to a random pianist playing songs for strangers.
Elizabeth Walter, Oxford Spring 2024, Marketing Team
Elizabeth is a junior Graphic Design and Advertising major from Boerne, TX. Her favorite memory from study abroad was canyoning in the Lake District. Liz and her friends wore wetsuits and rappelled down waterfalls; they had so much fun, and the location was beautiful.
Melanie Matute, Oxford Spring 2023, Administrative Team
Melanie is a senior Engineering major from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. One of her favorite memories from her semester abroad was going to a Ceilidh dance in Edinburgh, Scotland! She said it “was so fun getting to learn Scottish dances with my friends and meeting local people.”
Dylan Skelton, Oxford Fall 2024, Administrative Team
Dylan is a sophomore Computer Science major from Gilbert, AZ. His favorite memories from studying abroad were seeing the Philharmonic play in Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre and watching football at Wembley stadium.
Holland Wiggins, Oxford Fall 2024, Marketing Team
Holland is a sophomore Accounting and Finance major from Abilene, TX. Her favorite memory from studying abroad was visiting Blenheim Palace and exploring the beautiful grounds on a sunny day with friends.