The Cupertino Courier | 0427

July 7, 2004 Cupertino, California Since 1947

Photograph courtesy Helena Chien

Scouts (from left) Joel C. Ho, Alexander Chien, Steven Chen and Jonathan A. Liu earned their Eagles at different times but gather at Quinlan Center to celebrate.

Friends come together to receive Eagle Scout rank

By Allison Rost

Over the course of five months, four friends in Cupertino's Boy Scout Troop 452 have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. But they finally got together June 20 for a ceremony in the Quinlan Center to celebrate their mutual achievements.

Joel Ho, a recent graduate of Lynbrook High School, has participated in a number of scouting activities, including the National Jamboree and the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scouts' national honor society. He has served as patrol leader twice and as a junior assistant scoutmaster in his six years in the Scouts. For his project, Joel built a podium with stairs for the auditorium Lynbrook. Joel earned his Eagle on Oct. 2, 2003—the first of the four—and will attend New York University in the fall. His parents are Jeng and Wendy Ho of Saratoga.

Like Joel, Alexander Chien is part of the Order of the Arrow, and he will be the senior patrol leader to lead more than 60 Scouts at the Dragon Jamborette in Toronto this month. Alexander's parents are Yoen and Helena Chien of Cupertino. The senior at Monta Vista High School earned 38 merit badges, and for his Eagle project, he built a barrier between the parking lot and front entrance of Sunnyvale's St. Luke's Lutheran Church to better direct churchgoers. Alexander earned his Eagle on his 17th birthday, Feb. 11.

Steven Chen is currently a sophomore at University of California, Irvine studying biomedical engineering, but still managed to complete his Eagle on Dec. 17. Steven planted native plants in a nature preserve at McClellan Ranch Park for his project. He has received an Ordeal honor from the Order of the Arrow, is a Boy Scouts of America certified lifeguard and has participated in the High Adventure 50 miler and the Philmont Scout Ranch 60 miler, both hiking trips. His parents are Tsui-sien and Mei-Shiew Chen of San Jose. Steven graduated from Lynbrook High School in 2003.

The last to receive his Eagle, Jonathan Liu finished all of his requirements on March 4. He earned 31 merit badges and repaired a broken pipeline in Hakone Gardens in Saratoga for his project. Liu has taken part in both the Acorn and Bristlecone Junior Leader trainings and is a brotherhood honor member in the Order of the Arrow. Son of Thomas and Nancy Liu of Saratoga, Jonathan is a 2004 graduate of Monta Vista High School. This fall, he'll start at UCSanta Cruz, where he'll major in economics.