Valley People: Troop 604 home to new Eagle Scout

Luke Thornley of Boy Scout Troop 604 of Scotts Valley has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest a Scout can earn. 
Luke, a junior at Scotts Valley High, earned 21 merit badges and led his troop as patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, quartermaster, and senior patrol leader. 
Luke also completed an Eagle Scout project at Brook Knoll Elementary School, where he led more than 20 volunteers in building a greenhouse and making the life lab wheelchair-accessible. The volunteers contributed more than 200 hours to the project. 
Luke’s outdoor scouting experience has included whitewater rafting, canoeing, snorkeling, sailing, backpacking, hiking, snow camping, wilderness survival and Mountain Man Rendezvous campouts. He also led a 12-person crew on a two-week backpacking trek at the Boy Scout National High Adventure camp in Philmont, New Mexico.
Luke is active in cross country and drama and is an International Baccalaureate candidate at the high school. 
Pasa completes master’s work
Jessica Pasa, a 2002 San Lorenzo Valley High graduate, completed a master’s program in French studies at New York University, which included a six-week program in Paris this summer.
She was granted a fellowship from the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.
SV High’s Ahlstrom named scholar
Scotts Valley High senior class president Michaela Ahlstrom has been named an All-American Scholar at Large by the United State Achievement Academy.
Less than 10 percent of students nationally are recognized by the academy.
Michaela is the daughter of Greg and Denise Ahlstrom of Scotts Valley.
Bischoff makes Dean’s list
Jeff Bischoff, a 2008 Scotts Valley High graduate, was named to the California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, dean’s honors list for his academic achievement during the 2008-09 school year. Bischoff completed his first year at the university in the top 15 percent of students in his class.
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