Fulfilling your purpose in unexpected ways.

Donken Andre (’26) grew up in an orphanage in Haiti, where the seed was planted for an idea he would discover years later at Lipscomb in a series of events only God could orchestrate. But Donken needed support to pursue his education in the U.S., so he prayed for God to provide.

And He answered. Donken got to know an American family, because they made several visits to the orphanage, and they offered to host him and provide financial support for his education. After attending community college, he decided to transfer to Lipscomb because of the scholarships that helped make it possible. He had connections to Lipscomb through one of his sisters at the orphanage who had come before him and to Rob Touchstone, director of the Center for Vocational Discovery, who taught Donken’s Introduction to Entrepreneurship class.

“In my mind, I thought the only way I could possibly be involved in God’s mission and God’s kingdom was to be behind the pulpit, but Rob opened my eyes to the idea that everything you want to do can be part of your vocation,” Donken says. “It doesn’t have to be inside the church.”

So he began working to create a foundation with a mission to help educate, empower and equip young men and women in Haiti to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. With the support of Rob and his host family, Donken plans to launch his foundation in the near future.

Lipscomb has changed my life for the better. I feel like I have a better sense of who I am, what I want to do, and I have a better understanding of God’s kingdom and how I can be involved in that.

Donken Andre • Junior • Pastoral Leadership • Haiti