Encinitas teen on verge of adding to the ranks of girls to achieve Eagle Scout

After joining a cohort of girls in Boy Scout Troop 2000, 10th grader Olivia Lupson is on the verge of becoming the second girl in the group to complete an Eagle Scout project.

“I enjoy giving back to the younger kids and younger students, as well as in scouts,” said Olivia, 16, a student at San Dieguito Academy.

She delivered her project, a multi-use cabinet for the high school’s music department, during the last week of May.

Olivia’s project was a cabinet for the high school music department.

(Joanne Lupson)

“First I went to my old elementary school and after that I asked my music teacher here at my high school if he wanted any projects done,” Olivia said. “He said he’d like a new cabinet that the students could use because the current one is falling apart. So I had a bunch of meetings with him, discussing what kinds of designs he wanted, how large he wanted it, how different he wanted it from the original dimensions, all of that.”

Olivia said she has been in band since fifth grade, and is the only female percussionist currently in her school. After getting final approval on the design, she began recruiting some help.

“Part of doing the Eagle Scout project is you have to lead others,” Olivia said. “I recruited my fellow students to help out with sanding and staining and things like that. So I have to delegate jobs, basically.

Girls were allowed to join Boy Scouts in 2019, the same year Olivia and five other girls became part of Troop 2000. She had friends with brothers in the troop who had been trying to get girls to join. In 2021, the Boy Scouts welcomed the inaugural class of girls who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

“I feel pretty proud,” she added. “I think it’s a good chance to inspire other girls to join scouts as well. My experience with being in scouts is that you can do anything that the guys can do and it’s really good at teaching you skills and it’s so rewarding for everyone involved. So I’d really like for girls to join and step up in the Boy Scout world, and enable them to become leaders and have fun.”

Next steps to completing the Eagle Scout process include paperwork and a meeting with her troop committee.

“I think more girls should be able to join music and learn it and experience the benefits of music,” Olivia said. “It’s very relaxing and it’s very fun to do, and it’s such a nice community, especially throughout high school.”