Photos courtesy of Shivam Gangal
When Shivam Gangal first began his time as a young scout, becoming a mentor and role model for scouts across the country was not what he expected, but it became his destiny.
A product of Glacier Ridge Elementary School, Henry Karrer Middle School and now a Dublin Jerome High School student, Gangal has lived in Dublin his entire life. He became involved in the Boy Scouts of America in first grade as a Cub Scout and worked his way up to Eagle Scout by passing specific tests and the challenging BSA board review.
Although there are 2.4 million youth participants in BSA, not every scout is afforded the same benefits and opportunities. Gangal wants to change this.
“There are scouts that don’t have the same privileges, and I want to give back,” Gangal says.
One of the ways Gangal is giving back to BSA is with the publication of his book, My Journey to Eagle Scout. In his book, Gangal dedicates each chapter to stories from his time in the scouts.
“The book goes in a chronological order and, at the end of every chapter, there are life lessons and tips,” Gangal says.
He originally began writing the book to motivate other scouts to reach Eagle status and stay the course of the BSA. To reach Eagle Scout is to reach the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program.
“Since the first Eagle Scout in 1912, only 4 percent of all Scouts have achieved this rank,” Gangal says.
While reaching Eagle status is a difficult journey to take, Gangal assures that it’s worth it.
“I wrote the book to inspire more people to join the program and to inspire people who are not in scouting,” he says.
In fact, Gangal played sports with a lot of the fellow scouts he grew up with in school. However, they all left BSA before reaching Eagle status.
“They joined high school and their priorities start to change,” he says. “I hope to inspire others to stay in and continue their work with the scouts.”
When becoming a scout, Gangal says it’s very important that everyone who joins BSA reaches Eagle status and that they learn the values needed to be a well-rounded citizen.
“If I can inspire more kids to join scouting, it can build better character which can result in better citizens as well,” Gangal says.
Throughout the BSA, Gangal has learned valuable skills and life lessons which have contributed to his current and future endeavors. His time in BSA influenced his decision to take part in extracurricular activities and learn about his culture through an Indian program, Purna Vidya.
“Over the years, I have been actively involved with tennis, cross country, Lego robotics, science fairs, Purna Vidya and, of course, scouting.”
He hopes that if more young people learn the tips and tricks of scouting, they too can reach Eagle status by mastering the skills necessary to hold the honor.
Not only did Gangal learn valuable life lessons through his time in the scouts, but he learned tangible skills that he could use in survival situations.
“Throughout BSA, I learned archery, how to safely set up a fire, knife safety, general conservation, climbing and hiking,” he says.
As an individual, his leadership, honesty, preparation, compassion and kindness shine through as he tells stories about becoming an Eagle Scout and proudly wears his badge.
Published on Amazon, Gangal’s book, My Journey to Eagle Scout, is sure to inspire even the most timid and hesitant scouts to reach Eagle status.
“The book, My Journey to Eagle Scout, is an endeavor to inspire the youth to join scouting, reach the rank of Eagle and build the character through the values taught in the scouting program,” Gangal says. “It is not what they achieve but what they become in the process.”
All money made from book purchases will be donated to BSA. Gangal hopes to publish more writing in the future.
Marissa Smithinsky is a contributing editor.
