SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Evangel University is home to many unique, hard-working students who find creative ways to pay their school bills. While all are special in their own ways, not many own their own business before graduation.
It was during lockdown last spring when Abby Voelker, a senior from Nixa, Missouri, decided to take a 4-week, online business course involving health and business.
A few weeks later, she and her mother, Kayme Voelker, took a long-planned and Covid-careful road trip to California. It was there that the idea of a healthy business began to click.
“While we were there, we went to a tiny little açaí bowl shop on the beach and it was so cute! I dreamed of owning my own little business like that in the future,” said Abby.
According to Healthline, açaí berries are a Brazilian superfruit.
“They’re loaded with powerful plant compounds that act as antioxidants and could have benefits for your brain, heart and overall health. They also deliver healthy fats and fiber,” according to the website.
Abby added, “I LOVE açaí bowls so much, they’re healthy and amazing, and I was sad that Springfield didn’t have any places that sold them!”
Later that day, there was a serious conversation which led to the eureka moment — “wait, we can do this!!”
Abby and her mother decided to start a food truck to make açaí bowls. After returning from their trip, they purchased a used food trailer from Rogersville, got their LLC and health license, signed up for the Farmer’s Market of the Ozarks and got to work.
“It all happened so fast, and the Lord guided my steps along the way,” Abby said.
Abby’s Açaí Co. can be found in southeast Springfield at Farmer’s Park, Republic and Glenstone, on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. year-round.
With the start of a new school year, her efforts attracted the attention of Amber Brantner, a former teacher at Nixa High School. Media students there interviewed her and posted the story on the school’s Facebook page, offering a glimpse inside the trailer and more.
Abby Voelker, active student
Abby is a psychology major and biology minor at Evangel. She enjoys hiking, is on the University golf team and serves as a resident assistant in Spence Hall. She also serves as a family ministry intern at her home church.
Abby will graduate with her bachelor’s degree in just three years, in the Spring of 2021. The plan is to stay at Evangel and earn a master’s degree in school counseling. “I’m hoping to use the money I make from my Açaí Company to pay for graduate school,” she said.
The counseling degree will allow her to combine her love for kids and helping people.
“This also shows that my job as the family ministry intern has been preparing me for exactly that,” she concluded. “As you can see, the Lord has been so faithful, and His timing is perfect!”
About Evangel University
Evangel University, with the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS), is a comprehensive Christian university committed to excellence in educating and equipping students to serve the church and society globally.
Evangel and AGTS serve more than 2,300 students from all 50 states and numerous foreign countries, offering 70 undergraduate majors and 19 master’s and doctoral degrees.
###
WRITTEN BY: Sophie Mixer & Paul K. Logsdon
***
SIDEBAR — Media Coverage (sample)
• The story was first picked up via a live interview on KY3 (NBC News) “The Place” — Nov. 2, 2020. https://www.ky3.com/2020/11/03/the-place-up-close-with-abbys-acai-co/
• The Murney Blog is a popular source of local food and entertainment news, and they highlighted Abby on Jan. 6, 2021 — https://www.murney.com/blog/417foodist/
• The Springfield Business Journal ran with the story in January 2021 — https://sbj.net/stories/open-for-business-abbys-acai-co,72401
(If you can’t see the link, here is their coverage in print, Jan. 11, 2021.)
