Not all kids know what they want to be when they grow up. But involvement in activities like Boy Scouts can help them to decide.

Nick Harper, a 10th-grader at Manheim Township High School, has been involved with Cub Scouts, Webelos and Boy Scouts through Pack and Troop 84 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 10 Delp Road, Lancaster, over the last nine years.

"I've been into computer science for a while," said Nick. "I've been looking at colleges. I've been looking for internships and events that have to do with computer science. I'd say the kind of job I'm looking for is programmer or anything computer science related."

Not just a Boy Scout, Nick is an Eagle Scout. After completing all of the necessary requirements for the rank, Nick officially became an Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor ceremony at the end of March.

"When I first joined, I didn't know I wanted to become an Eagle Scout," said Nick. "Over the last two years, I've really been pushing to get the Eagle rank. When I got it, there was definitely a big sense of accomplishment. It's all snowballed into that rank."

One of the final steps in Nick's process was completing his Eagle Scout project. In October of 2023, Nick helped improve the staging area of The Common Wheel, a nonprofit in Lancaster that teaches kids how to repair bicycles, by cleaning it, refurbishing shelves and organizing it.

"It took a long time to figure out. The most challenging part was the planning," said Nick. "I think the best part about being in Boy Scouts is all the friends I've made. There's a bunch of people I've met that I wouldn't have otherwise."

"He's learned that you have to plan for what you want to achieve," said Nick's dad, Greg Harper, of the Boy Scout experience. "You have to think about more than what you're doing today. It takes a lot of conceptual planning. I think he's really accomplished a lot, which has helped with his schoolwork and career, once he gets there."

On his way to the Boy Scouts of America's highest rank, Nick earned 37 merit badges, 16 more than the required number to become an Eagle Scout. Among his favorite badges were drafting, electronics, robotics, engineering, archery, shotgun shooting, rifle shooting and cooking.

"I've learned how to be a better leader through Boy Scouts," said Nick. "There are definitely a lot of outdoor skills that I learned, and I learned how to communicate. I've had to learn how to talk to Scout leaders and learn how to communicate with people I've never met before."

When Nick originally became a Cub Scout in first grade, he was simply carrying on a Harper family tradition.

"My dad and grandfather were in Boy Scouts, and I knew they liked it," said Nick. "I think my dad just wanted me to try it, so I'd have something to do. When you're going through it, it may seem like a lot of hard work. But when you look back, it was all necessary. I learned a lot of things not necessary for Boy Scouts, like life skills."