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  Jephthah Ndlovu

  Jephthat Ndlovu

  One of my favorite a cappella groups is the Watchmen—a Christian singing group comprised of Andrews University students and community friends. One of the Andrews students is Jephthah Ndlovu, who sings baritone, and his is a compelling story. From a very young age, Jephthah had a passion for becoming a pilot. Growing up in an Adventist home in Zimbabwe, he was a keen observer of birds in their flight. That fascination with birds birthed a passion for flying—a passion that was nurtured by his mother. In his quest to live his dream, Jephthah enrolled in the Andrews University aviation program in the fall of 2015. But then, during the second semester of his aviation program, a life-threatening medical condition occurred. During a program at the Howard Performing Arts Center, Jephthah grew weak on stage and was assisted to a seat. His nose began bleeding, and he was transported by friends to the local emergency room, where he was initially unresponsive and then observed for over seven hours. He was transferred to the ICU in another hospital. As you may well imagine, a medical episode and aircraft piloting do not mix well. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which certifies our flight program, intervened and requested that Jephthah not continue in the aviation program because of his medical episode. He is still not cleared to rejoin the program. What would God do? Would Jephthah have to give up on his passion to become a pilot? Find out more by reading the rest of Jephthah’s story at andrews.edu/stories. Christon Arthur

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  Alayne Thorpe

  Alayne Thorpe

  “Education is a sacred profession where a good and caring teacher can change a student’s life,” reflects Alayne Thorpe, PhD, dean of the School of Distance Education & International Partnerships and graduate dean. Dean Thorpe is one of the individuals on campus who makes the love of education infectious. Her passion, her creativity and her energy consistently invite students and colleagues to think in new ways and discover with excitement what knowledge in a faith environment can mean. So I want to share with you Alayne’s story, what inspires her passion for Adventist higher education and why she is part of this amazing campus. Read more at andrews.edu/stories. Thank you, Alayne, for exemplifying the spirit of Andrews and helping us all dream bigger, live better and engage in our pursuit of education with faith, love and hope.