Whether sawing, painting, or programming, three Life Scouts completed a trio of Eagle Scout projects to both enhance the Brea Olinda High School campus and to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
Raagav Arun (‘26), Merrick Kim (‘26), and Oliver Marick (‘27) initiated their final Scouts Boy Scouts of America (Scouts BSA, formerly known as Boy Scouts) service projects — an LED sign that spells out “WILD,” rooftop letters to support rescue efforts, and four green and yellow benches placed outside the main office — by contacting, and then enlisting support from, Joey Davis, BOHS principal.
With 10 members of Troop 99B, Arun built an LED display of the BOHS motto, W.I.L.D. The acronym represents the school’s missions: work with initiative, initiate positive change, lead by example, and demonstrate personal responsibility.
Arun programmed the lights to be controlled together or individually by phone, where users can select an assortment of colors. Potential uses for the LED lights include rallies, celebrations, and school functions.
The plastic installation, which measures 10-by-4-feet, was delivered Sept. 8, replacing an earlier version that was unstable and, according to Davis, “[wasn’t] the best in the world.”
Arun, who spent two-and-a-half months gluing, soldering, and programming his troop’s creation, said of his project: “This is the pinnacle of my scouting journey, and I’m sure I speak for the other scouts.”
While Arun’s project supports school pride, Kim’s project improves school safety.
Kim chose his project – 10 signs that mark buildings for Brea Police Department drones to ensure that emergency responders could easily locate buildings – from a list presented by Davis.
Provided a map of the campus by Brea PD, Kim designed and built – using pressure-treated wood, epoxy, and paint – 8-by-4-foot plywood letters to correspond to BOHS structures; for example, an “M” for the New Building, and an “A” atop the Wildcat gym.
Kim and members of Troop 811 delivered the project to BOHS Aug. 7.
With the assistance of Jeff Ferrato, BOUSD Administrative Director of Facilities, Maintenance, Operations and Transportation, four of the letters were installed on BOHS rooftops Sept. 23. Their placement marks buildings for quick response to emergencies, such as fires, earthquakes, and active shooters.
“I was so happy to finally finish my project,” Kim said. “All the late nights spent planning paid off on delivery.“
Marick, a junior at Servite High School, built green and yellow benches to provide seating outside the main office.
The benches, according to Davis, are much-needed in the heavily-trafficked area.
“When kids are waiting at the end of their day for their parents to get picked up, there’s no place for them to sit,” Davis said.
With the completion of the Eagle Scout service projects, the three students look forward to finishing their Scouts BSA careers, a chapter of their lives that began in elementary school. Only four percent of scouts earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout.
“We’re all excited to receive our Eagle Rank, which is one of the highest merits anyone our age can achieve,” Arun said. “It represents a dedication to the principles of scouting and a commitment to our community.”
Davis noted that the Scout’s projects exceeded his expectations.
“There’s no way the average high school student could pull anything like that off,” Davis said. “And that’s what an Eagle Scout project is.”
