Jan
22
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Ramos, an 18-year-old Manhattan Beach resident, recently attained the distinction of Eagle Scout. No small feat, especially when you consider the senior at Mira Costa High School was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when he was 3 years old.
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For his leadership service project – a requirement for all Boy Scouts seeking to earn the prestigious distinction of Eagle Scout – Daniel worked to put together 81 “survival” backpacks, filled with essential items including food and clothing, for a homeless ministry in Long Beach.
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There were nearly 52 million Boy Scouts in 2009 – only 5 percent earning the Eagle Scout title.
“They embraced him,” said his mother, Carmen, a periodontist in Manhattan Beach. “The project brought the community together.”
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Although they struggle socially, children with the disorder are often high-functioning, displaying average or higher-than-average intelligence.
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“The Boy Scouts make you goal-oriented and help develop a mindset of `There’s something I want and this is how I’m going to get it,”‘ Carmen said. “It helped him keep his focus.”
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“His mom once said she didn’t know if Daniel would ever ride a bike,” said Colleen Kaczmar, a special education and resource teacher at Mira Costa High School who has worked with Daniel throughout his high school years. “His growth has been amazing.”
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Once he came up with the goal of helping the homeless to earn his Eagle Scout badge, Daniel quickly went to work to secure donations and volunteers, meeting one-on-one with local public school officials and speaking at local Rotary clubs. He organized a charity car wash to raise money, along with the rest of El Segundo Troop 773.
“The marketing he did was really good,” said Kaczmar. “So many kids would stop so much shorter of that. He did everything he could possibly think of to make it happen.”
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As they passed out sack lunches and the backpacks, Daniel spoke with the people he was helping. Once moved by the images of the homeless he saw from the passenger seat of his parents’ car, he was now inspired by the stories they shared.
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Daniel said he’ll be going on to Marymount College or El Camino College before attending a four-year university, perhaps studying to become an engineer. In addition to the Boy Scouts, Daniel is on the Mira Costa varsity track and field and cross-country teams.
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Daniel said his time in the Boy Scouts has taught him lessons he may have not picked up otherwise.