Eagle Scout Ryan Garcia
A local Boy Scout and high school senior has received an elite national Catholic scouting award.
Ryan Garcia, who is an Eagle Scout and a member of Troop 311 at St. John Vianney Parish in Kailua, received one of six Emmett J. Doerr Memorial Distinguished Scout Scholarships for 2018. The $2,000 college award goes to outstanding Eagle or Venturing Silver awardees who have excelled in service, leadership scholastics and character.
In 2015, Garcia participated in the St. George Trek, an outdoor backpacking trip in New Mexico that combines outdoor exploration, physical challenges, and spiritual growth. A priest and a seminarian mentor male scouts and a religious sister mentors female scouts.
In a 2016 Hawaii Catholic Herald guest column promoting the St. George Trek, Garcia wrote, “I had the honor to hike the outdoors with scouts from all around the country and made some of the best long-lasting friendships I have experienced. We went shotgun shooting, sparring, rock climbing, and even mule racing. We bonded, sharing the joys and the difficulties of the rugged landscapes.”
The Doerr award honors Emmett J. Doerr, a longtime Catholic Scout and member of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting who was the first recipient of the Brother Barnabas Founders Award.
The Doerr award was first given out in 2003 and had over 100 applicants this year. In 2012, another Diocese of Honolulu scout, Justin Isami Bicoy Hata, also received the award.
Garcia is attending high school as a homeschooler and will go to Texas A&M in the fall.