Enlarge

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies, a master of divinity, and minors in political science and business administration, Megeste Pierre (M.Div. ’18) is ready for just about anything he might be interested in.

He’s interested in all those topics and has great plans for using them. Megeste, a native of Haiti, got his master of divinity degree in ACU’s May 12 graduation ceremonies, after earning a bachelor of arts degree in biblical studies in 2015. That’s a lot of Purple. And it’s an experience that Megeste, who will turn 31 in June, is extremely thankful for.

“It has been fun and interesting,” he said.

As much as he has loved his time at ACU, it’s now time to return home, where he believes he is more needed than he would be in a job in the United States. The job awaiting him in Haiti is one he is quite familiar with. After the January 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti, Megeste’s family established The Goodness of God Orphanage to go along with a school they founded. Megeste will use the knowledge he gained in his biblical studies, divinity and business administration courses to run the school and orphanage and to minister to those he serves.

Megeste has personal experience with the life of an orphan. His mother died when he was young and he lived in an orphanage for a while.

“It was not a good experience,” he said.

But the experience for children in The Goodness of God Orphanage is different. The facility has received major help from fellow students at ACU. Over spring breaks and summers, students have gone to Haiti with Megeste to make improvements. One female student helped build bunk beds for all 51 children. After the building was process was finished, she raised money for mattresses.

“It was amazing,” Megeste said.

Megeste’s journey to ACU was a long one. His first knowledge of the university came in 2000 when he was baptized by Church of Christ missionaries in Haiti. Megeste originally planned to leave for the United States in Spring 2010 to get an education but was delayed due to the earthquake. His father, stepmother and siblings were hit as hard as anyone on the island.

“Literally, we became homeless,” Megeste said.

Instead of the home they had lived in, they found themselves scrounging for anything to build a makeshift shelter.

“We just did our own stuff,” he said. “We used anything we could find.”

After that experience, Megeste and his father started the orphanage so that children left homeless would have a good place to live. Once order was restored, Megeste picked up on his plan to get an education in the U.S.

In fall 2010, he arrived on the campus of Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, east of Dallas. After earning an associate degree in liberal arts in 2012, Megeste enrolled at ACU.

Two degrees later, he is now ready to return to his home country to help his people. For now, that help will be in the form of teaching at the school his father started and running The Goodness of God Orphanage.

But that may not be the end of it. One of Megeste’s minors at ACU was political science, which doesn’t seem to fit with the others. But it makes perfect sense to Megeste. He has his eye on someday becoming the leader of all the people of Haiti.

“I hope one day to run for president,” Megeste said.

Learn more about the Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry

Learn more about the Graduate School of Theology