Whiz Kid of the Week: Tim Larson

Name: Tim Larson, 18

School: Oakton High

Accomplishment: Became an Eagle Scout after building a shed for the pool at Pinecrest Swim and Tennis Club.

Key to Awesomeness: Tim Larson, of Oak Hill, did not just achieve Eagle Scout on Feb. 8. He continued a family legacy.

The senior is the eighth in his family to receive the rank, following in the footsteps of his father, four uncles and two brothers.

"It was really important to get Eagle. I didn't really want to be the only one in my family not to do it," Larson said. "Also, I wanted to get it and experience everything."

His Eagle project provided a shed for the pool staff at Pinecrest Swim and Tennis Club to store pool equipment, which Larson said was certainly needed.

Though Larson acknowledged the family legacy largely motivated him to pursue the Eagle Scout, he said Scouts has always been important to him. And he realizes how it will help his future.

"Scouting teaches you a lot of life lessons and skills you can use in everyday life," he said. "It's just a great experience. I think people who aren't in Scouting are missing out on a lot."

His father agrees, which is why he made sure each of his children signed up for Boy Scouts and worked toward Eagle.

"I think there's good life lessons in Scouting," Bob Larson said. "Having Eagle Scout on a resume always piques somebody's interest. They know what they're getting. They've already got somebody who has been trained in life lessons and leadership skills."

Plus, Scouting presents opportunities others most likely would not have, Tim Larson said, like his trip last year to Florida Sea Base, which earned he and four fellow Scouts — Josh Rubin, Brad Stebner, Sahal Thahir and Jon Roser — the first-ever scuba diving merit badge. "Boy's Life," the Boy Scouts magazine, featured the five Scouts for their achievement.

Along with his many Scouting achievements, Larson is an active member in Oakton High bands — playing trumpet and french horn in two concert bands and jazz band — and is involved in the Police Explorers program.

Larson's future is wide open. He is waiting to hear back from colleges and is keeping an open mind as far as his career path is concerned. He has toyed with the idea of becoming a pilot like his uncle and cousin, but also finds engineering — mechanical or computer — intriguing, as well.

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