From Drafting Tables to Global Missions: The Journey of Shawn Doss

This is one in a series of stories celebrating Wallace State Community College alumni during Community College Month in April.

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — For Hanceville native Shawn Doss, the path from a college drafting lab to mission fields across the globe was anything but expected—but it has always been guided by purpose.

Doss attended Wallace State Community College from 1991 to 1993, earning an associate degree in Drafting and Design. At the time, he envisioned a future rooted firmly in civil engineering, a field he would go on to work in for 15 years. Still, the foundation he gained at Wallace State left a lasting mark. 

“The instructors in the Drafting/Design program at the time I attended were fantastic,” Doss recalls. “They truly prepared me for the professional world.”

Yet while his classroom training gave him technical skills, it was his experiences outside the classroom—particularly his involvement in campus ministries—that began shaping what would become his life’s true calling.

About 25 years ago, Doss felt a calling to pursue ministry. What started as a step of faith soon became a lifelong mission. He first served as a youth pastor and interim pastor throughout Cullman and Walker counties, pouring into local churches and communities. Over time, that local focus expanded into a global vision.

In 2007, Doss founded Hope Missions, Inc., a missions organization dedicated to mobilizing volunteers for short-term mission work around the world. What followed was remarkable growth and impact. Under Doss’s leadership, Hope Missions mobilized more than 6,000 volunteers, organized over 100 short-term mission trips, and reached 29 locations across 12 countries. Each trip, Doss says, was about more than travel—it was about building relationships and sharing hope.

Although Doss retired from physically going on mission trips in 2020, his work in global evangelism did not stop. Instead, it evolved. Through initiatives like The Gospel Store and The Gospel App, Doss continues to help spread evangelism resources worldwide. These platforms make faith-based materials accessible to people across cultures and borders, extending the mission far beyond what travel alone could accomplish.

Outside of ministry, Doss’s life is firmly anchored in family and community. He has been married to his wife, Patty, for 32 years and is the father of two children, Jessica and Joshua. He now also proudly holds the title of grandfather to his grandson, Isaac.

That same dedication to people and purpose extends into his business ventures. Today, Doss is the owner of two Cullman- and Jasper-based businesses: The Cigar Box and GoTees Screen Printing. Interestingly, the roots of these businesses trace back to his mission work. “Our foundational mission work in Estelí, Nicaragua helped launch the cigar businesses,” Doss explains. 

“Today, we are busy running these businesses to serve the people of Jasper, Cullman, and beyond.”

Whether through ministry, technology, entrepreneurship, or local business, Doss’s life reflects a consistent theme: using every opportunity as a platform to serve others.

More information about GoTees Screen Printing can be found at www.shopgotees.com, and The Cigar Box at www.thecigarboxalabama.com, or by visiting their in-person locations in Cullman and Jasper, Alabama. For evangelism resources, visit www.thegospelstore.org or www.thegospelapp.org.

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About the Wallace State Alumni Association

The WSCC Alumni Association serves more than 30,000 alumni and friends through membership benefits, professional development, and outreach opportunities. You do not have to be an alumnus to become a member of the Alumni Association. Please visit our website at https://www.wsccalumni.org/welcome.

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About Wallace State

Wallace State Community College (Ala.), a member of the Alabama Community College System, is a comprehensive community college in north central Alabama offering more than 200 options in academic, health and technical programs of study leading to an associate degree, certificate or transfer, as well as workforce-credit training and adult education. An Achieving the Dream Leader College, nationally recognized by the Aspen Institute as a Rising Star for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, ranked by Southern Business and Development among the Top 3 institutions in the South for workforce development, named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and the National Security Administration, rated the Top Online Community College in Alabama, a Military Friendly Institution and an All-Steinway School, Wallace State is an outstanding place for students to pursue their education and career goals. Classes are offered online and on campus, day, evening and on weekends, with numerous start dates each year. Visit Wallace State’s beautiful main campus located on 300-acres in Hanceville, Ala., our satellite location in downtown Oneonta, Ala., find us online at www.wallacestate.edu, or call 256.352.8000.