Zach Peruch was fueled by motivation and tradition on his route to becoming an Eagle Scout.
“My favorite part of Scouting is the service that we do for each other and for the community,” the 2020 Fishers High School graduate said. “A large part of becoming an Eagle Scout is the final service project. The leadership and hard work were what I was looking forward to as I got closer to the rank of Eagle. My troop (777) and parents encouraged me to pursue the rank of Eagle and, of course, the fact that my brother is an Eagle helped also.”
His brother, Alex, a 2018 FHS graduate, received his Eagle Scout honor on Feb. 15, 2019.
“For my Eagle Scout project, I built, with the help of my troop, a shed to store gardening tools and supplies for the (Vernon Township) Community Garden (in Fortville),” Peruch said. “We completed the project on Aug. 31, and it took us three days. The combined time of everyone working on the project was 93 hours.”
Peruch chose building the shed for the Community Garden when he learned it produced and donated 250 pounds of fresh vegetables to families during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been involved in Boy Scouts since he was 5 years old.
Peruch, who turned 18 Sept. 4, is taking classes at Ivy Tech. Scouts must complete their Eagle Scout project before their 18th birthday.
“Let’s just say he was cutting it close,” said his mother, Leah Peruch. “However, because of COVID they allowed him a little extra time. Some of the qualifications were long-term, and COVID affected his ability to finish in a timely fashion. Boy Scouts of America, as well as our troop, were understanding and helpful. Zach is very goal oriented. He was a student-teacher at Fishers Junior High for his last year of school. He taught math and tutored students that were having difficulty.
“His ultimate goal is to become a teacher and to change the structure of the present educational system. Zach believes children should spend more time working on group projects and discussing ideas than taking tests.”
Peruch was involved in the high school’s technical theater program, where he helped build sets and hang props above the stage. He also played standup bass for four years for the FHS Symphony Orchestra.
