Andrew Gao spent two years at Wolfe Street Academy, a Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) neighborhood conversion charter school. The STEM introduction he received at Wolfe Street sparked his passion for science and helping others.
Last year, at Baltimore Polytechnic School, he founded the Poly STEM Outreach Club, which is bringing STEM to elementary public schools across Baltimore, including his alma mater.
WOLFE STREET ACADEMY:
- Attended for 4th and 5th grade after moving from Howard County and Howard County public schools to Fells Point
- His sister currently attends Wolfe Street Academy.
- Ingenuity Program at Roland Park Elementary Middle School
ATTENDING BALTIMORE POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL, INGENUITY PROGRAM
- Class of 2026
- Activities: President and co-founder, Poly STEM Outreach Club, President and co-founder, PolyTechTalk (Journalism Club), Vice president of the Asian Student Union
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WOLFE STREET MEMORY?
“In 4th grade, we spent a week at NorthBay in North East, Md. It was a trip for about 20 students. We were in cabins and got to be outdoors in nature. I mainly remember making s’mores on the beach and then catching them on fire. But we got to do a lot of STEM activities that week. We really didn’t have dedicated science classes when I was at Wolfe Street, and for a week, we did experiments and really learned about nature and conservation. From my standpoint now, it’s a hands-on application of science. The best way to learn something is to see it be done or do it. That was a great week.”
HOW DID WOLFE STREET PREPARE YOU?
“There was a lot of support from teachers and staff at Wolfe Street. Having coursework that was really based on your current level of understanding was really impactful. In my 5th grade year, I believe it was the first year when science and social studies were added to the school week. It was a small portion of the day, but getting to experience science and social studies was a great experience.”
“Math was always huge for me. Back then, I wanted to be a doctor. Wolfe Street’s science and social studies program showed me that there was a lot more to math and science than just being a doctor. I learned that there is always something new happening in science, that it’s a constantly changing field, and that anyone can make an impact.”
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM CAREER?
“That’s always the best question. Definitely not a doctor. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time now. Usually I answer that I just want to be successful. At this point, there’s not really a specific career. I’m very rooted in business and entrepreneurship. I just keep on starting clubs. And I still love STEM. With those two things combined, I want to pursue something in biomedical engineering, but something more startup.
In college, if I can double major, I will do biomedical engineering and business. I would love to start a company that is, one, ethical, because the medical scene is very unethical. And two, the medical scene specifically in America and in third-world countries, is super expensive. It doesn’t make sense that insulin costs as much as it currently does. It costs literally fractions of what it currently costs to produce it. There are massive monopolies in America who control the pharmaceutical industry and a lot of biotech. Being a community-oriented person, I really want to impact the greater community and find a way to make medicine more sustainable and in whatever way possible.
Read about the Poly STEM Outreach organization that Andrew created and the impact it’s having on Baltimore City Public Schools, including Wolfe Street Academy and Govans.
Congratulations, Andrew, on all you are achieving!
