A digital animation student interested in 3D modeling, Ryan Zukoff’s Eagle Scout carpentry project may not be directly applicable to his future.
But it provided lots of leadership and life lessons, said the Life Scout, Troop 192 of Davisburg.
“I learned that when you are leading a project, you need to know and communicate every step to keep the project moving forward,” said Zukoff of Independence Township, a senior at Clarkston High School. “Projects usually take longer than planned and you have to stay positive even when a project isn’t going well.”
“He learned organization, directing people, planning ahead, all good life skills,” said his mother, Colette Zukoff.
His project was to build two wheelchair accessible picnic tables for Offering Alternative Therapy with Smiles (O.A.T.S.) of Independence Township.
“I became familiar with O.A.T.S. through a friend,” he said. “I met with Nancy Heussner, the O.A.T.S. director ? she had a few projects that she could think of immediately.”
He planned fundraisers, researched tables as well as wheelchair designs, bought materials, and organized and performed the wood work with the help of 14 other scouts.
“It’s put together well. It’s beautiful,” Heussner said. “We couldn’t have done this without them. They did the whole project from front to back. They all seem to be such wonderful young people.”
O.A.T.S. provides horse-assisted therapy on a weekly basis, year-round, to more than 100 children and adults with a wide variety of physical and/or emotional disabilities. The tables, completed this past November, accomodate four wheelchairs, Heussner said.
“It’s nice ? it makes it very easy. You can pull right up to it,” she said.
“He did a great job,” Colette said. “He was very dedicated to it ? he just went for it.”
After graduation, he plans to attend the Academy of Art in San Francisco.
“I want to try to get a job in the industry making movies or video games,” he said.
“We’ll definitely miss him, but this is what he wants to do and the place he wants to be,” Colette said. “He has the best shot at it out there.”
Now 18 years old, he joined scouts when he was in first grade. The project was required to advance from Life Scout to Eagle Scout.
“There are five boys from his Cub Scout pack all completing their Eagle Scout,” Colette said. “It’s pretty exciting. It was a great experience.”