Scouts BSA Troop 258, sponsored by The Neighborhood Church in Palos Verdes Estates, has announced its latest female Eagle Scouts.
Five New Eagle Scouts celebrated their Eagle Court of Honor in July. Four Eagle Scouts, Cydney Yamamoto, Hannah Corr, Jacqueline Hung, and Katherine Robinson. made history by being inducted into Boy Scouts of America’s inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts on Feb. 21; they are all seniors who attend Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.
Rachel Arakawa earned her Eagle rank on June 3, graduated from West High School in Torrance, and will attend UC Berkeley in the fall.
The path to Eagle rank is not easy as only 6% of eligible scouts attain it and it is the culmination of all the work the girls put forth to advance through the ranks as well as something that fulfills a need within the community and leads to positive change. Along with paving the way for all future female scouts, these five Eagle Scouts, through their leadership and community involvement, will follow in the footsteps of all Eagle Scouts to continue the tradition of active citizenship throughout their lives.
Cydney Yamamoto, a senior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, is an honor roll student, AP scholar, member of the Japanese National Honor Society, and participates in the United States Tennis Association Junior Leadership Program and in the Scouts BSA Order of the Arrow.
A standout student-athlete for the Panthers, she has been on the Varsity Girls’ Tennis Team each year, as well as Varsity Swimming. She helped the girls secure the Bay League and CIF Championship title in 2020-2021, was named MVP, and as a junior, elected junior captain of the Lady Panthers team.
Cydney’s Eagle project is a visual demonstration of her pride in her Japanese American culture, as she designed and led scouts to create an original American mosaic flag using authentic Japanese dishes and tiles. The exhibit will proudly be displayed permanently on the wall at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles.
Hannah Corr, a senior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, is a member of National Honor Society, California Scholastic Federation, and Tri-M Music Honor Society, and The Palos Verdes Assembly, and co-president of the National Science Honor Society. Hannah is an incoming editor of her high school newspaper, The Pen, and an avid equestrian hunter/jumper with the Portuguese Bend Riding Club.
Hannah loves teaching children and is a math tutor with South Bay Math Circle (SBMC), a student-run organization that tutors students grades 3-8 at the Palos Verdes Library. For her Eagle Scout project, Hannah supported SBMC and made three wooden, directional signs to place at the library entrances and assembled 150 fundraiser pencil pouches.
Jacqueline Hung, a senior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, is an honor roll student, AP scholar, and member of the California Scholastic Foundation and National Honor Society. Jacqueline has been on the Varsity Swim Team each year and has a passion for visual arts.
For her Eagle Scout project, Jacqueline chose to use her artistry to give back to the community by painting a large, vibrant mural at the entrance of Walteria Elementary School in Torrance. The mural was a colorful scenery that centered on a large tree bearing leaves made by handprints to symbolize unity within the school and neighboring community. She hoped her art would bring joy to the school and community during these difficult times.
Katherine Robinson, a senior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, is a member of the Varsity Surf Team, Spanish Honors Society, Philosophy Club, and California Scholarship Federation.
For her Eagle Scout project, Katherine assembled 150 care packages (containing toothbrushes, socks, food, sunscreen, face masks, playing cards, band-aids, sanitizer, water, among other items) for the SSG/Occupational Therapy Training Program that helped low-income and homeless families that were affected by the COVID-19 shutdown. Katherine has always been concerned for the welfare of others and wanted to help less fortunate families during these difficult times.
Rachel Arakawa graduated from West High School this year as an AP scholar with distinction. She was an honor student and athlete, starting point guard for Varsity Basketball, won one CIF Division I Championship ring and was awarded Defensive Player of the Year for two years. Due to her interest in science, Rachel volunteered at three local hospitals and will attend UC Berkeley in the fall as a pre-med major.
Rachel’s involvement with UCLA’s Youth Ambassador program personally raised $2,500 for UCLA Mattel’s Children’s Hospital and inspired her Eagle Scout project, named Project HOPE (Harness Optimism and Positive Energy). Rachel helped pediatric oncology patients at UCLA Health by creating inspirational care packages that included a comfort beanie, handmade Hawaiian tote bag, inspiration jar, activity books and snacks. She taught scouts how to sew and hoped Project HOPE would bring joy to those with cancer at such a young age.