Los Gatos Patch Whiz Kid of the Week—Andrew Lau

• Andrew Lau, 17
• School: Leigh High School
• Accomplishment: Andrew is serving his second term as senior patrol leader of Los Gatos Boy Scout Troop 501 (top o' the Boy Scout food chain). 
• Key to Awesomeness: If you are ever marooned on a desert isle, Andrew is the guy you want by your side. Short of making a radio out of a coconut, Andrew, who started his illustrious scouting career in the third grade, has top-notch survival and first aid skills, and is also modest and funny.

Along with participating in awesome outdoor adventures, Boy Scouts is “really about bonding with your fellow Scouts and what you can accomplish as a team,” said Andrew. “I’ve learned a lot from being a Scout that isn’t taught in school—social and leadership skills, for example.” 

As a senior patrol leader Andrew leads his troop, runs all meetings and plans all camp-outs. One of his most memorable outings was a snow-camping adventure he led last year to Yosemite’s Badger Pass with 15 snowshoe-clad Scouts transporting supplies on sleds. “It was really beautiful,” Andrew recalled.

Then disaster struck. In blizzard-like conditions, Andrew discovered that two first-time snow campers had forgotten their tent. Another person had brought a humongous summer tent. “Being a Scout shows that you can keep your cool and think straight in times when you really need to, so we did what we had to do,” said Andrew, which was to cram six people into the summer tent. “I warned them that the tent wouldn’t stand up to the elements, that it would collapse on them in the night and they would get wet.” The next morning, low and behold, their tent was still standing. “A lot of other people had snow in their four-season tents. It was surprising.”

Surviving adverse weather and staying cool under pressure aren't the only attributes Andrew's developed over the years. He's also come to appreciate creature comforts while out in the wilderness. “That Yosemite trip was classic me,” he said with a laugh. “I brought a lot of sleeping pads, which gave me 5-6 inches of padding. My sleeping accommodations were really comfy.”

When asked what it means to be a Scout, Andrew says, “It gives you a lot of confidence to push yourself to the limits and also understand what your limits are.”

In his spare time—get ready for this—Andrew is on the varsity swim team, founded Leigh High School’s mountain biking club, is a Marine Corps Jr. ROTC Regional Champion Shooting Team captain, a Community Emergency Response Team member, a member of the Spanish Club and a Wind Ensemble clarinet player. He also plays piano, guitar and trumpet.

He is working toward fulfilling the stringent requirements to become an Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program. “The hardest task is creating a project that is so thoroughly designed, you could hand it off and someone could execute your project, no questions asked,” said Andrew. 

Finally, I ask this extraordinary young man what he wants to be when he grows up. We both laugh. The answer is obvious: At 17, he is already as grown up and responsible as they come.