Three Willowbrook students earn Eagle Scout status

Three Willowbrook students have earned Eagle Scout status, the highest rank attainable in Boy Scouts of America.

Those who receive that rank earn at least 21 merit badges and demonstrate Scout Spirit through the Boy Scout Oath and Law, service and leadership (which includes organizing, planning and completing an extensive service project in the community).

Senior Jacob Roucka
Roucka is with Troop 417, and he joined Cub Scouts in 2005. He said he joined after he heard his friends talking about the program, and his parents encouraged him to pursue the experience.

For his Eagle Scout project, Roucka sent Spanish books to underprivileged children in Dominican Republic. He said the project took 18 months to complete and involved buying/processing more than 200 books, sorting the books by reading level and shipping them to Dominican Republic.

Roucka will step away from Boy Scouts to focus on college, but hopes to reconnect with the program in the future if he has a son who’s interested in becoming a scout. He plans to attend Illinois College in Jacksonville to major in education and compete on the Men’s Swimming Team.

Senior Lucas Olson
Olson is with Troop 417, and he joined Cub Scouts in 2005. For his Eagle Scout project, Olson built three tables for Feed My Starving Children’s Schaumburg office. He said the project took three months to complete and involved buying and building the tables, staining them and delivering them.

“My older brother joined (Cub Scouts) in 2003, and I thought it would be fun,” Olson said of why he became a Cub Scout. “Plus my dad was a Boy Scout in the 1970s, and that turned out to be a huge help.”

To stay involved with Boy Scouts, Olson serves as an adult leader for his troop, which includes assisting and educating the younger scouts. He plans to enroll in the U.S. Army to work as a wheeled vehicle mechanic.

Junior Sean Olson
Olson is with Troop 417, and he joined Cub Scouts in 2006. He said his two older brothers (one of which is Lucas, mentioned above) were in the program, so it was a natural fit for him to join.

For his Eagle Scout project, Olson helped refurbish Girl Scout Camp Greene Wood in Woodridge. He tore down an old platform and built four benches and four fire-bucket posts. He also poured three concrete slabs for fire building. He said the project took six months to complete and involved recruiting people to volunteer to build and set up the project, as well as completing paperwork to document each step of the process.

Olson said his goal is to stay involved with Boy Scouts through serving as an adult leader for his troop. He plans to enroll in the U.S. military to work as an aviation mechanic.