Eagle Scout, leisurely mountain biker, and aspiring engineer Andrew Haslam reached his goal of joining nineteen other students in the top of his class. Haslam is satisfied with his rank of eight out of over five hundred students.

“I’m happy where I am. I didn’t have to put in too much work that I couldn’t do other things, but enough work that it paid off,” Haslam said.

Although Haslam had the time to hang out with friends on weekends, go camping, and play video games, he had to invest a lot of time into his studies as well. According to Haslam, some classes required more commitment and hard work than others.

“Calculus BC was the most difficult class, because there’s pages and pages of equations you have to know,” Haslam said.

His endurance through vigorous courses is undoubtedly an accomplishment, but it is his Eagle Scout title that really makes Haslam proud.

“Eagle Scout takes a lot of time, effort and dedication. You have to earn six ranks, thirty-two merit badges, and do lots of community serivce, which was all pretty fun,” Haslam said

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an engineering college in New York, awaits Haslam next year, and he is more than ready to move on to the next stage in his life.

“It was a fun four years, but I always thought there were too many rules for the sake of having rules. I’m ready to leave. I’m ready to graduate and get out of here,” Haslam said.

Ten years from now Haslam envisions himself settled down and married, working at an engineering firm in Texas. Haslam is eager tostart making that vision reality.

“I am ready to move on, get some freedom in my life, and decide what I want to do for myself,” Haslam said.