First published in the Jan. 20 print issue of the San Marino Tribune.
Anjali Rao started her scouting Boy Scouts of America journey in February of 2019, as a 7th-grader.
Over the last three years, she completed her camp nights, merit badges and service hours. Her Eagle Project took a total of 224-1/2 hours to complete. Now a sophomore at San Marino High School, Rao is a member of Troop 360.
For her project — with the help of 13 friends and family members — she built therapeutic equipment for San Marino Unified School District’s adaptive physical education program. The equipment includes a set of free-standing stairs, a cornhole set, a ladder ball set, a ring toss set, and hand-painted canvases with seasonal themes. Rao’s favorite badges were genealogy and photography.
Her first camping trip was the most memorable to her because it was pouring rain, so she and the other scouts had to chase their tents that were blowing away and cook under an umbrella.
She credits her success to her parents, who both took leadership positions to help establish and support the first all-girl BSA, which continues to flourish. Rao plans to continue using the leadership skills that she has gained in scouting throughout the rest of her life.
