Andrew McCaskill: History buff relishes 'helping kids move forward in life'

Sep. 4—He knows the Aiken area's freeways, highways and main streets well, largely through his professional background, and Andrew McCaskill can also navigate the courses that his family has taken over the past 300-plus years, back to the days when major developments in "the colonies" included such events as the Salem witch trials, establishment of the College of William and Mary and the Carolinas winning the right to initiate legislation in the British House of Commons.

"I enjoy history and genealogy research," the Columbia native confirmed. "I've got family that dates back in the CSRA to the 1770s, in the Barnwell District, and then I have family in South Carolina dating back to 1690."

His ancestors include Huguenots, a group that took shape in France during the Protestant Reformation and scattered widely abroad in years of persecution, war and exile.

McCaskill, while studying his ancestors and looking to help his own children get a good start in life, has also focused on helping other families — especially young people — face challenges and make the most of tough circumstances. He also appreciates the value of a simple pleasure, making a living now as a sales representative for a candy company.

"I wanted to be a career Army officer, and then I had a very significant religious experience where I felt led in a different direction," he said, recalling that much of his emphasis in the years ahead has been on helping at-risk youth, whether in Aiken County or as far afield as Mexico City, Mexico, and Belfast, Northern Ireland.

His Aiken years began in 2005, when he became youth director at a local church, helping to plan and manage a variety of activities, including a variety of trips and service projects.

Some local residents also know McCaskill through his years of association with Christ Central Ministries, mostly working with teenagers at crossroads in their lives. Absentee fathers were a common factor.

"He was with us as a youth director, primarily with the 12 and up — more with the teenagers and the young males," said Judy Floyd, Christ Central's director for Aiken and Graniteville.

Interaction came in a variety of forms, sometimes with help from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office and Aiken Department of Public Safety, she said. Another case involved working as volunteers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to help makes houses habitable again, and other instances were much more low-key, such as taking swimming lessons or playing miniature golf or Frisbee golf.

McCaskill's efforts, she said, were largely focused on helping keep teens on track for graduation and in their proper grade level. "It really prepared them well for their young adulthood, and we see them again from time to time," she said, recalling the recent case when one of McCaskill's former associates, preparing to join the Navy, had a going-away party with Floyd and McCaskill both attending to celebrate the moment.

"It was a good relationship, and a lot of young lives were blessed by it," Floyd said.

Among those giving a thumbs-up review to McCaskill's Christ Central efforts is Tatyana Cheatham, who now earns a living as a certified medical assistant at Aiken Endocrinology, working for Dr. Bauer Vaughters.

"He knew all of my battles, basically," she said, recalling a variety of family-related challenges from years ago. "Mr. Andrew always was ... like one of my heroes."

The great outdoors and a sense of humor, she confirmed, were parts of the package. "We used to do wilderness trips. He taught us to survive, because we wouldn't have survived without him. He had some people dress up as a bear, and some of the students jumped on the bear, because we thought it was a real bear, and it was a guy in a suit."

McCaskill, she said, was also known as "the picture man for everything," always having a camera ready to capture a meaningful moment.

She added, "Whatever he could do, he would. He's a great guy ... He helped my brother get into the Navy." That brother, she noted, is "in Europe right now, in the middle of the ocean."

More recently, he has been a driving force behind the local establishment of the Young Marines, described in promotional material as "a national youth program for boys and girls, ages 8 through high school graduation, focused on leadership, citizenship through community service, self-discipline and living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle."

"I like helping kids move forward in life," McCaskill said, "and I love sharing in their successes."

The Young Marines group has taken shape this year in the Aiken area, largely through the efforts of Jeremy Washburn, Claude Davis and Cameron Barry. The group meets on "select Saturdays" at the Aiken County Family YMCA, on Trolley Line Road, McCaskill noted.

He is also involved with American Legion Post 26, as a founding member of the unit's Sons of the American Legion squadron, and is the group's current vice commander.

His years (2007-13) in Christ Central Ministries included fostering relationships with law enforcement, the Department of Juvenile Justice, local schools and other organizations to help young people.

Among the end results was a tremendous endorsement from the DJJ, as he was chosen as the 2013 "Volunteer of the Year" for a 17-county region, in recognition of his efforts in "establishing new outreach programs for at-risk youth and juvenile delinquents."

DJJ facilities are largely based in Columbia, on Broad River Road, and a major feature of the acreage has a direct connection to McCaskill's lineage. The John G. Richards Youth Detention Center was named for one of his great-great-uncles, largely remembered as a governor of South Carolina (1927-31).

Helping kids overcome major turbulence "has been a big deal" for McCaskill, the Aiken resident confirmed. "We have many kids in our community who, through no fault of their own, have a lot of challenges, and I want to see every child in Aiken County have a fair chance. What they do with that chance, ultimately, is their responsibility, but I want every child to have a fair chance."

McCaskill is also familiar with the literal concept of uphill climbs. "I enjoy hiking. I like to get up to the mountains," he said, noting that he is in the midst of a months-long training effort to handle an 11-mile hike reaching North Carolina's highest peaks.

He has a little more free time now, with all three of his children being on their own. "My daughter, Kate, is an active-duty Marine. My son, Calvin, just graduated from Navy boot camp and is starting his school in Connecticut ... and then my youngest son just started culinary school at Greenville Tech, in Greenville, South Carolina."

The youngest son, Jonathan, wound up getting a major boost from Jason Tufts, one of the Aiken area's most prominent chefs — "an outstanding mentor," in McCaskill's assessment.

McCaskill's background includes a variety of military connections, he confirmed. "I was born in Columbia, as was my dad. My mom was born in Texas, and they actually met in Hawaii. My parents are both Army brats, and both of my grandfathers were stationed at Hawaii at the time."

His parents, he noted, met on Waikiki Beach, and the months that followed led his dad to The Citadel and his mom to Fort Jackson, "so they were able to continue dating."

McCaskill's youth included a variety of home bases, including suburban Atlanta, where he attended Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, graduating in 1989. North Carolina was next. He is a 1994 graduate of Montreat College, with a bachelor's degree in human services cross-cultural studies and a minor in Bible and religion.

His next steps included roles in youth ministry at various congregations around Georgia and South Carolina, en route to service through Christ Central.

"He put the kids first," said Cheatham, recalling her involvement in Christ Central activities with McCaskill. "He's awesome. He's very honorable. He's going to tell you what you don't want to hear ... and he's going to make you keep up with those goals that you set."