Gabe Besecker '23 Attains Eagle Scout

On November 28, 2022, Gabe Besecker, a member of the Shorecrest Class of 2023 held his Eagle Court Honor ceremony in front of friends, family and fellow scouts. Gabe has been a member of Troop 487, Safety Harbor since fifth grade. 

Gabe’s Eagle Scout project, “AR Exhibits at the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art,” benefitted the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg, FL. The project involved taking detailed photographs of art from the museum collection and using the photos to create 3D models that can be viewed in Augmented Reality (AR) using smartphones. 

Museum visitors will soon be able to closely examine augmented reality versions of selected paintings, sculptures and jewelry from multiple viewpoints that are not always accessible when viewing real objects. Patrons will be able to do this not only while in galleries, but from anywhere using mobile devices. Teachers will also be able to use the digital models in classrooms to prepare students for field trips and to generate excitement. 

The final models with Marxent’s WebAR application (not available on Android or Google phones) will be released by the James Museum in the near future. 

The designation "Eagle Scout" was founded over one hundred years ago. According to the BSA, Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America. Only four percent of Boy Scouts are granted this rank after a lengthy review process. Current Scouts, note that you can earn the same honor someday!

Gabe shared, “When I think of Scouting, I think of all of the time I have spent learning about what it means to be a strong, effective and caring leader. Whether it has been through my Eagle project, all the service projects and fun activities, or my times as a patrol leader and in other leadership roles, my time in Scouting has instilled in me all the essential values of such a leader. I’ve learned that a leader needs to have humility, integrity, compassion, positivity, self-awareness, and more. I hope to further develop these values throughout the rest of my life in college and future careers.”

Gabe proudly joins a host of other Chargers who have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, some of whom most recently include: Will Hess’ 20 and Aiden Samuelson ‘20 earned their Eagle Rank in 2019; Walker Willis ‘19 received his Eagle Rank in 2015; Joshua Jacobs ‘20 and Lliam Cobb ‘20 earned their Eagle Scout ranks in 2016; in 2017 both Chris Canizares ‘19 and Alexander Alvarez ‘21 were awarded the prestigious rank; and Gregory Glasscock '21 received his in 2018. Some Charger Alumni who also achieved Eagle Scout include Jack O’Neill ‘18, Aaron Stypinski ‘16, Patrick Farese ‘16, Jackson Willis ‘15, Christian Jones ‘15, Jeremy Jones ‘15, John Farese ‘14 and Matthew Hobbs '14.