When asked for some words of wisdom to give his fellow students, Andrew Gaeckle quickly responds with a quote from Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” A junior International Studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences, Andrew has already taken that wisdom to heart and acted upon it to a degree that people many years his senior would have difficulty equaling.
 
The son of Carole and Steve Gaeckle of Parker, Colorado, Andrew has committed himself to service both here at the University and abroad. As a member of the Carolina Service Council, Andrew directs the alternative breaks program. While other students may think the ideal fall or spring break is relaxing at a resort, Andrew has spent several of his breaks in Mississippi bringing relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina, in West Virginia  assisting low income residents with housing, and most recently, on John’s Island, SC building homes through Habitat for Humanity.

Andrew is fully engaged in nearly every aspect of life at the University. In addition to his work with the Carolina Service Council, Andrew serves as the secretary of athletic affairs for the University’s Student Government Association, and in his role as a University Ambassador, he helps prospective students and their families learn about the numerous opportunities for educational and personal growth offered to Carolina students.

But perhaps Andrew’s most significant and fulfilling experience has been his study abroad in Senegal this past spring and summer. During the spring 2007 term, Andrew studied French, Wolof, African economic and environmental development, education, and anthropology in addition to volunteering at a local school. While living with a Senegalese family and working with the local children, Andrew immersed himself in Senegalese culture, language, and traditions. In the summer of 2007, he worked with Action Humaine pour le Développement Intégré au Sénégal (AHDIS), a local NGO, researching strategies for the progress of women, education, local government, and sustainable economic development. Andrew describes his time in Senegal as an “amazing experience,” and realizes that he has been privileged to experience a culture that few Americans ever come to know well.          
 
Andrew is already preparing for life after graduation. He hopes to win a Fulbright grant, which will enable him to research forestry policies of West Africa. While he is not yet sure whether he will continue his education in law school or in graduate-level study of African politics, he knows that somehow he will use his considerable talents to further economic development through the environment.

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