Yash Shelar Earns Eagle Scout Award

Yash Shelar has qualified to become an Eagle Scout and received his award at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor on November 1, 2023. Yash is the son of Seema and Mahendra Shelar of Pleasanton. He is a member of Troop 908 sponsored by the Saint Clare Episcopal Church. Yash appreciates the help and dedication of his Scoutmaster, Amit Sethe.

Yash has been active in Scouting and has held leadership positions of Webmaster, Historian, Chaplain’s Aide, Patrol Leader, Assistant Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader. One of the things Yash loved about scouting was the sense of tight community that comes with a Boy Scout Troop. Hiking, camping, swimming, and working on merit badges alongside the same people forms a bond unlike any other and makes you part of something bigger than yourself.

For his Eagle project, Yash built a three-piece set of two triple-decker wired wooden shelving and a flush worktable for St. Claire's Episcopal Church Garden's greenhouse. The church donates its produce to the homeless as well as a not-for-profit called Culinary Angels that provides nutrient-rich meals and nutrition education to those actively going through a cancer challenge, as well as their caregivers. He worked closely with Jenny from the church. Jenny and the garden group were very happy with the project because it would greatly increase their productivity in potting their plants and creating more produce in their greenhouse. A total of nine volunteers worked on the project for a total of 137 hours.

Yash is a senior at Foothill High School. He is interested in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Graphic Design, Skateboarding, Dancing and Volleyball. He is the Founder and president of Foothill Cybersecurity Club, Organizer and CTO of the annual Tri-Valley Hacks Hackathon,an avid volleyball player, Web lead for Avitris consulting and Team Captain of Foothill's CyberPatriot team.

He plans to pursue an education at the nexus of the computer science and business worlds. He aspires to create his own startup company in the field of Artificial Intelligence and find new applications for AI in our daily lives.

To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, a Scout must be active in their troop, provide leadership, earn 21 merit badges including the areas of citizenship, camping, communications, cooking and lifesaving or emergency preparedness as well as demonstrate that they live by the principles of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. They must also plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project benefiting a religious institution, school, or community group.

Anyone interested in joining any level of Scouting can contact the Twin Valley District Executive, Andrew Evans, andrew.evans@scouting.org