Alpha Sigma Phi - University of Washington

5 W hen you meet Andrew Hitchcock the first thing you notice is his amazing smile. It is warm, genuine, and immediately makes you comfortable. After spending over six hours with him, it is easy for me to describe Andrew. He is charming. He's a very nice guy and a gentle soul. These attributes rapidly gain him friends who quickly trust him and look up to him. Why? Because Andrew has an uncanny ability to make people's lives better. To Andrew, helping people is every- thing. He is always willing to step up and into an important project, program, or leadership role to serve each person on the team. His inquisitive and amazing mind innately understands how to create order in everything he encounters with his ultimate goal always focusing on helping people realize their greatest potential. This is not a passing or inane focus for Andrew. He is passionate about it–or in Andrew's words, he is DRIVEN. And that drive makes him an outstanding organizer, fixer of things, and most definitely a multi-faceted teacher. ANDREW'S PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE BEGAN AT HOME Andrew is a sophomore at the University of Washington majoring in business finance, carrying a 3.55 GPA. He and his 16-year-old brother were raised on Vashon Island. Andrew graduated from Vashon High School. Andrew's philosophy of life found its roots at home with two professional parents whose careers had a profound impact on his thinking. His mother works at an elementary school with children with learning disabilities. His dad is a financial advisor. "My dad influenced the direction I am going in life," started Andrew. "I have talked to my dad all my life about what he does. Even though I was very young, we talked about markets and investing. I liked it because it was competitive and inquisitive. I am both of these. This is where I got my passion for organization. I have always been interested in how things work." "With my dad in finance," continues Andrew, "I began to realize at a very young age how important finance is–how it impacts everyone's lives, how things work and why things happen. It piqued my interest because of my innate inquisitive nature, plus I was enticed by the competitiveness of investing. I have always been competitive in sports and in everything I do. Investing and working with markets is very competitive. While carrying forth the allure of what to do and how to do it, with investing you're ultimately working towards getting the best results financially for yourself and potential clients. Talking to my dad about what he does and why convinced me to major in business finance and to eventually built a career in private equity for myself and clients." A MASTER OF ORGANIZATION "I have always been very good at organization," adds Andrew, "whether it be with numbers, time management, or people. Organization has worked very well with me when it comes to numbers. There is an order to numbers. Numbers never lie. They work all the time. There is a very similar order to organization. For something to work properly there has to be order. There are many ways to do things, but, without order there is chaos. When you put people into a well-organized event, project, or what- ever, everything works better and everyone is usually happier. You even have to manage time. Financial planning, advising, or anything for that matter, is all about timing. I learned that from my dad. I have always had a great ability for organization. It makes sense to me. It intrigues me." FOCUSED TO HELP PEOPLE It is clear to see that Andrew is very focused and pragmatic. With his innate organizational abilities it is not surprising that he is well versed at fixing things. "I like to work with things sensibly and realistically based on practicality rather than theoretical considerations," says Andrew. "It is the most effective way to get things done. It goes hand-in-hand with successful organi- zation. Right now I am on the Interfraternity Council (IFC) Standards Board and we hear cases. Through those cases and our actions we help fix issues in the community. It feels good to help make the community work better, safer, or, in general, help the community be better doing productive things, rather than destructive things." With his philanthropic desire to help people experience the best and be their best, leadership came natural to Andrew at a very young age. "When I was in third or fourth grade at school there was a situation when we were at recess," began Andrew. "We were playing kickball and everyone was arguing about the teams. I told everyone to pick two captains, then teams. It all sorted itself out." "I ran for class president in fifth grade and won. To me it looked like fun leading and being in charge of other people. In high By Jim Hammond '66 "It feels good to help make the community work better, safer, or, in general, help the community be better doing productive things, rather than destructive things." - Andrew Hitchcock

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