Howard County is known for its rich cultural diversity, a proud strength that shapes its communities and schools. Many voices reflect similar ideals in our county—perseverance, hard work, and selflessness. There is, however, one story in particular that stands out: Dr. Andre Gao’s journey to success and unwavering commitment to giving back.
An economist and former candidate for the Board of Education in the 2024 election, Gao embodies the resilience and passion present in so many immigrant stories. From experiencing the final years of the Cultural Revolution in China to attending top universities, he built a life not just for himself but also a life for his children and community.
Dr. Gao’s strong commitment and passion for education started in his life in China. After graduating from the University of Science and Technology of China, Gao decided to continue his academic career in America, where he received a PhD degree in both physics at Duke University and economics at American University. His dedication to his academic career stemmed from a deep appreciation for education, which was rooted in something deeper.
“China [was] in terms of the economics and in terms of the education or science and technology, behind the Western countries like maybe, at least 50 years.” Gao explains how he felt the need to “study harder and to catch up, and at the time, I was thinking to be able help our country,” emphasizing people’s hunger to study after the decreased access to schools during the revolution. “When you don’t have the chance to study during the cultural revolution, you appreciate the importance of education,” he says, never taking for granted the chance to access education.
Along with the passion to learn, Gao explains his mindset that “Education is not only for me to be successful, but also to contribute to the country to society at large, because education is not only for the individual person.” Gao’s decision to transition from physics to economics heavily reflects this idea, explaining, “Why I switched is that because I found I’m interested in it. . . . Economics also can help the people as a society here as well.”
Carrying his passion for giving back to communities into his work, Gao’s experience at the World Bank involved assisting in investment projects in rural China to promote economic development, improving the work of farmers. His choice to dedicate his life to economics is a nod to his intention to spread his knowledge, a tool he uses to create change.
Those same values led him to Howard County, where Gao and his family moved 24 years ago for the school system at Howard County, determined to provide his kids with exceptional opportunities. Like many immigrant parents, his hard work contributed to ensuring his children would have promising academic futures. Today, all three of his children have graduated from Centennial High School and have left the school system, but his passion for investing in the community didn’t end there.
Gao decided to run for a position on the Board of Education in the last election, offering his expertise in economics to help improve the school system. Gao explains how people often question why he would decide to do so with all of his children having left the school system, and his response is simple yet powerful:
“Why, it’s not just for my children. It’s a hope I can do things for the community and give back to the community…If I am able to, I should do things to help the community.”
In my experience growing up with immigrant parents, this mindset is often silent but prominent in their stories; success was never only about their individual gain but is guided by a deep, humble commitment to help the community and future generations. Many immigrants in Howard County share this intent: working long hours, making sacrifices, and pushing forward—not for recognition, but for the hope that others will have more than they did.
While interacting with the community, Gao remembers many fond memories that made him feel deeply connected with the families he hoped to serve on the board. While knocking on doors on a hot summer day, he was met with families offering him water, worried about the scorching heat, a small gesture highlighting the support of the community.
One interaction, in particular, left a cheerful impression on him. While speaking with a family during his outreach in the community, knocking on doors, their young daughter—just a kindergartener—looked up at him with wide-eyed excitement and declared, “I think you should be president!” Gao laughed as he recalled the moment. “I feel very warm by them, the willingness to talk to me and the enthusiasm,” he said.
In December, Gao lost the position for District 1 in a close race, with his opponent, Meg Ricks, winning with a narrow 51% of the majority. But this did not define his involvement. Today, Gao still continues to stay active on his online platforms, advocating for student voice and quality of education. Gao continues to encourage students to strive for their goals and stay involved in the community, offering a piece of advice:
“For me, you need to think about things long term. I think… if the difficult things happen, those are just temporary…our successes are also temporary, and we are not guaranteed success forever…we have a short life span, and just think [of] how much we can do in this short time period.”
Furthermore, “In that case, we don’t dwell too much about temporary difficulties or success and stay on the course…if you have a goal, just keep working at it and don’t move away from it.”
Dr. Gao’s story is not just his own; it highlights the journeys of countless families across Howard County. Rooted in hard work, education, and a passion for helping others, Gao’s experience is similar to a diverse pool of stories, those of immigrants who have worked tirelessly to build comfort in this community.
His campaign may not have resulted in a seat on the Board of Education, but his candidacy itself was a statement—the impact that immigrants have on their communities, not just through their own success but through their actions to provide others with the same opportunities.
For many children of immigrants—including myself—this is what we see every day. We watch our parents work tirelessly, not for their own comfort, but to build a life where we can thrive. Gao’s journey is born from that passionate intent and is living proof that success isn’t always measured by how we plant our individual seeds of prosperity, but by how we water the field around us, allowing the whole community to bloom and flourish.
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