This is the 12th profile of 20 about The Gazette’s Best & Brightest Class of 2011.

Andrew Theobald’s passion for finding common ground started at age three.

An extroverted American pre-schooler “starting over” when his father’s job sent the family to Belgium, he vividly remembers struggling with the language barrier and briefly retreating into his shell.

Overcoming — and thriving — from that experience built the foundation for Theobald’s ultimate goal of becoming an American diplomat. He’s set on using knowledge and respect of other cultures to find solutions to some of the world’s big problems.

“When you make an effort to approach somebody with something with their own culture to show respect toward their language and their traditions, and put yourself in that role, then there’s a very positive response,” Theobald said.

He wants join the U.S. Foreign Service, with the specific long term goal of helping the developing world.

“To use American experience to make sure that developing countries would have a great opportunity to develop in a safer way than we saw with the United States through the Industrial Age,” he said. “It is like a second chance, except it’s the first time for these countries.”

In terms of preparing, Theobald has done his homework.

He’s taken leadership positions in many performing arts groups, including an achievement he’s most proud of, serving as Palmer High School’s Drum Major.

“I really valued the impact that I was able to have on the lives of the students,” Theobald said. “It’s something that I’ve really taken to heart.”

As a Boy Scout, Theobald attended the World Jamboree, where he got more practice establishing connections  despite language barriers.

“When you interact with somebody of another culture, they are not a stranger just because they grew up somewhere else. There are many ways to get to know people despite language differences,” he said.

For his Eagle Scout project, Theobald brought a group of volunteers together to clean up Shooks Run Creek, fixing erosion issues and clearing brush so police could more easily see into what had become a hotbed for crime.

“I lead to improve the lives of others and to bring out the best in them,” he said. “I look at a bunch of freshmen standing around nervous at band camp and see a bunch of potential.”

ANDREW THEOBALD

Palmer High School

Parents: Chuck and Rebecca Theobald

College plans: Middlebury College in Vermont,  major in International Politics and Economics and study Arabic.

Other: Drum Major; Eagle Scout; Vice President of Masque and Sandal – Palmer High School Thespian Troupe 759; National Merit Scholarship Finalist; Organizer and President, Palmer World Affairs Challenge Club; trombone player, Pikes Peak Winds, Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association.

Andrew Theobald Photo by