Three students sweep top honors at Awards Day

The University of South Carolina presented its top awards for undergraduate achievement -- the Algerrnon Sydney Sullivan and the Steven N. Swanger awards -- to three seniors at its annual Awards Day ceremony Thursday (April 16).

Andrew Gaeckle of Parker, Co., and Kathy Niu of Columbia received the Sullivan awards, the university's highest honor for undergraduates. Sullivan awards are given each year to one male and one female graduating senior for their outstanding achievements, campus leadership, exemplary character and service to the community. The award is named for the 19th-century New York lawyer and philanthropist.

Ashley Nicole Wood of Fort Mill received the Swanger award, the university's second-highest undergraduate honor. The award is named for a former president of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), which sponsors the university's Awards Day. It is given to a graduating senior for exemplary leadership and for making significant contributions to the Carolina community.

The university also presented more than 250 awards recognizing undergraduate academic, service, athletic and leadership achievements.

University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides said, “We’re proud that we have many students who excel in academics, but these students show that it’s possible to be a student of distinction and a leader in service as well.”

Andrew Gaeckle, son of Carol and Steve Gaeckle of Parker, Co., is a graduate of Ponderosa High School. A National Scholar Honors Society member, Gaeckle will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.

While studying abroad in Senegal in 2007, Gaeckle worked with Action Humaine pour le Developpement Integre au Senegal (AHDIS), researching strategies for the progress of women, education, local government, and sustainable economic development. He lived with a Senegalese family and worked with local children.

“My time in Senegal was nothing less than amazing and it was an absolute privilege to experience a culture that few Americans ever come to know well,” Gaeckle wrote in his application for the Sullivan award. “These experiences have fulfilled my goal as a college student.”

A member of the National Scholars Honor Society, Gaeckle is a Collegiate All-American Scholar and a recipient of the Chester and Sylvia Bain Scholarship. He was the university’s student body president, member of Cocky’s Reading Express, a University Ambassador, director of Alternative Breaks for the Carolina Service council and a site leader and member of the Martin Luther King Day of Service.

He was the College of Arts and Sciences Student of the Month in December 2007 and has been on the Dean;s List and National Dean’s List.

Kathy Niu, daughter of Jinru and Chang Sheng Li of Columbia, is a graduate of Ridge View High School and a student in the South Carolina Honors College. She will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Niu, a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society, is a Carolina Scholar, a Palmetto Fellows Scholar, National Merit Scholar and Leiber Scholar. Her academic achievements have placed her on the President’s Honor Roll and Dean’s List. She also received a Magellan Scholar award to conduct research in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Active in student life, Niu has been a member of the Emerging Leaders Program, Honors Council, Association of Minority Pre-Health Students, Carolina Scholars Association Carolina Service Council, and Amnesty International. She was director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, team captain for Walking for Wellness, executive director of Outreach for Students for Organ Donation, and a team captain for Relay for Life (cancer research fundraiser).

“At a university that has laid out so many opportunities, I believe my greatest contribution is my dedication to developing an understanding of diversity on campus,” Niu wrote in her application for the Sullivan Award.

As director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Award, Niu added new components, such as a poster competition, to garner more interest and erected an exhibit of King’s books and photos. Wanting the day to mean more than the logging of five service hours, Niu worked to make the Day of Service a time when all volunteers could work together for the community. She received an award for the 2008 MLK Day of Service poster competition.

“I knew I had so much to learn, and I didn’t hog it all to myself. As I have quenched my thirst one gulp at a time, I believe I am leaving a trail of cravings in other students’ minds for a deeper understanding of differences, an itch for more enlightenment in the process, and a desire to devour as well,” she wrote.

Ashley Nicole Wood, daughter of Linda Collins and Luther Thomas Wood, is a graduate of Fort Mill High School. She is a Palmetto Fellows Scholar and will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in English and political science.

Wood, a Lillian Dickert Gainey Scholar, was president of Carolina Productions and has held several positions in student government, including secretary of advancement for executive cabinet. Wood was project coordinator for Cocky’s Reading Express, a peer Leader for University 101 and president of the Trustee Liaison Committee.

Wood was the recipient of many honors and awards, including the Student Government Meritorious Award, the Carolina Productions Executive Member of the Month and the Student Government Cabinet Member of the Month.

“I did not expect to become enveloped into such a culturally stimulating and opportunistic community at the University of South Carolina,” Wood wrote in her application for the Swanger award. “I decided to challenge myself with the idea of trying something new and, most importantly, what interested me. It was my decision to be bold and try new endeavors that afforded me the opportunity to contribute to USC in my brief time as a student.”