Dhashadyu Papineni, a member of Scouts BSA Troop 126 and a resident of Franklin, has earned the honor of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting. Since the inception of the Eagle Scout award in 1912, only two percent of eligible Scouts have earned Scouting’s highest honor.
The son of Arun and Sangeetha Papineni, Dhashadyu has been involved with Scouting from the age of 10 and is still going strong at age 16. For his Eagle Scout service project, he led the construction of an outdoor classroom for Horace Mann Middle School, involving a blackboard, a teacher’s table, and 18 individual benches for students, which he made possible even in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The project was well thought out and designed with social distancing requirements in mind.  |
| Dhashadyu Papineni |
Dhashadyu has always loved Scouts and the outings made possible through Scouting. Through Scouting, he has learned about his role and responsibilities as a citizen in the community, nation, and the world at large. He has developed his communication and leadership skills, both among his peers and adult leaders, and learned to be a responsible team member when called upon.
This young man has led his patrol and troop in significant ways for extended periods, in the roles of patrol leader and troop guide. He has developed his physical and mental fitness in this preparation for his future life. He is now able to handle a canoe, a sailboat, and learned to survive in the wilderness by himself—a skill only few outside of Scouting may know about.
Through Scouting, he has learned about firearms safety and has also grown as a responsible member of his own family. He has learned how to protect himself and other youth, if necessary, from bullying and other forms of abuse. He also learned to manage money and budget. Outside of Scouting, he is an A+ student in academics in his junior year at Franklin High School, and is also a great saxophone player who loves music.
He is destined to continue to contribute to the program as an adult by volunteering to help younger Scouts achieve the heights that he has achieved.
Troop 126 Franklin has been chartered by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge #2136 since 1964. Scouts BSA is a year-round program for youth 11–17 years old that provides fun, adventure, learning, challenge, and responsibility to help them become the best version of themselves. Find a troop near you and join today at scoutsbsa.org.
