Labor Day is a holiday that most Americans appreciate only after realizing it gives them a three-day weekend come September. But for STEM Academy student Rishab Kotte, this holiday involves more than a family and friends barbeque and a getaway weekend.
Kotte, 17, spent last Labor Day supervising the construction of fruit and vegetable gardens at his local elementary school, leading the “Growing Hope Garden” as part of his Eagle Scout service initiative.
An Eagle Scout assignment is a community service initiative that demonstrates leadership skills and benefits a community organization. Traditionally, an Eagle Scout undertaking involves tasks like building benches for a nature center, but for Kotte, it was more than fulfilling a requirement.
“I wanted my project to be a little longer-lasting, and I was a little more ambitious,” Kotte said.
When choosing the kind of venture he would lead and produce, he learned of a need for fruit and vegetable gardens at Creekside Elementary School in Sun Prairie. He decided to supervise the construction of six garden beds, which meant providing 1,320 square feet of gardening space at the school, organizing volunteers and acquiring funding.
Working with school representative Vicki Zank, Kotte and Zank designed the garden as an outdoor classroom that teaches students about gardening, nutrition and environmental stewardship while helping over 400 families in the community.
Many Sun Prairie families benefitted because they were given a source of fresh fruit over the summer, during non-school hours, as the school has many students on reduced or free lunch.
After receiving funding from the Sun Prairie school district and the Business Education Partnership, Kotte was ready for the planning stage, which included a mock-up of a garden, deciding the seeds to plant, finding in-kind donations and corralling volunteers.
Over 40 volunteers from Scout Troops 47 and 747, Sun Prairie West High School, STEM Academy and Life is Christ Ministries contributed to the gardens.
“Seeing all these different people come together — people I’ve never met before come from different parts and backgrounds was really interesting,” Kotte said. He added that it was inspiring to witness everyone work towards something that might not directly benefit them but knowing it would help the community.
In addition to being a student, Kotte is an active member of his Sun Praire West’s swim team, FBLA and DECA and a volunteer at his church. When asked what advice he would give another student regarding time management, Kotte said, “I would ask them, ‘What makes you want to wake up every day? What really gets you going? What makes you tick?’ If you put that stuff first, then you find ways to work in your other stuff.”
Kotte recommends blending homework with a student’s favorite class, which brings them enthusiasm for subjects they less enjoy. For example, if a student loves painting but has English homework, they can write a description of their artwork to fulfill the English requirement while focusing on their passion for painting.
“If you focus too much on what you don’t like, then even what you do like — that might start feeling like a drag. But if you find ways to incorporate stuff with each other, it’s not necessarily multitasking. It’s just you lumping it together so it’s more passionate for you,” Kotte said.
Kotte is considering a career in Aerospace Engineering, with his eyes on the University of Wisconsin-Madison or the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If his high school career is a glimpse into his college career, he knows he will be challenged by what goal to pursue and where to put his energy.
“Don’t wait for the project to come find you. You don’t know what’s out there, so you have to go out and venture on your own,” said Kotte, who admitted he waited for three months to find inspiration for his Eagle Scout project. “Nothing will ever show up. You’ve got to go and seize it,” he said.