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“I have always felt called to help people and the Catholic Church in various capacities,” says Andrew Browne, the College’s new director of development for the central region of the United States. He has carried this calling throughout his career, volunteer work, and family life, and now lends his professional assistance to 91����.

Born and raised in the “Sooner State,” Mr. Browne attended the University of Central Oklahoma, where he majored in sociology, minored in German and political science, and was heavily involved in campus ministry. It was there that he met his wife, Hayley, with whom he now has seven children.

Soon after graduating in 2008, he moved to the nation’s capital to pursue a master’s degree at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America (CUA). “My eyes were opened to the value of a liberal arts education while I was there,” he explains. “I found that — thanks to the education I had received — I could speak well, read well, think thoroughly and logically, and effectively practice and share my Catholic faith.”

While in graduate school, Mr. Browne was an eager volunteer with the Knights of Columbus, inspired to join after his undergraduate degree thanks to his father and both grandfathers, all of whom were heavily involved with the organization. A mentor offered guidance that would help shape Mr. Browne’s life and career. “He showed me there was a way to align what I wanted to do — help people and grow the Church — but also be able to have and support a large Catholic family.”

Thus, Mr. Browne entered the world of development, first serving as intern, then as the manager of marketing and donor relations at San Miguel School in Washington, D.C. Nearly a year later, he became the director of development for the Youth Leadership Foundation. He has spent nearly a decade in senior advancement roles at two other Newman Guide institutions, Belmont Abbey College and CUA.

“I love meeting people, getting to know what excites them, and helping guide them in a way where they can direct their generosity toward a good cause,” he says. He continues to volunteer his time and experience to this day, serving as a mentor for young business professionals and teaching financial literacy courses at Catholic parishes.

Over the years, he met multiple 91���� alumni, who impressed him with their eloquence, intelligence, and love for their alma mater. He had also long admired the College’s dedication to blending faith and reason, study of the Great Books, and strict adherence to Catholic teaching — so much so that the College is top of his list of potential colleges he hopes his children may one day attend. So, he is pleased that, in his new position, he gets to promote the College’s mission. “Teaching students to work through problems logically, to be able to represent themselves well and confidently share their thoughts and ideas: this is a prime skill set to have as we move forward, with so much new technology on the horizon,” he says. “I think a liberal arts education is really the answer for the foreseeable future.”