A PreK-12 educator, she has served in three Texas school districts where she held positions as teacher, instructional technology specialist, technology director, vocational (CATE) director, and independent national consultant. Abernathy received her doctorate in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas Austin, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Supervision from Lamar University. The Texas Computer Education Association awarded her the Lifetime Achievement of Technology in Education in 2013.