Woodland Hills Students from Forest Hills Earn Eagle Scout Awards

Two Woodland Hills High School students recently achieved the highest rank that a Boy Scout can earn. 

Senior James McKay and Junior John Gorol from Forest Hills Boy Scout Troop #90 are now in very select company. They are part of the five percent of Boy Scouts nationally that have earned an Eagle Scout award.

To earn this achievement, they were required to fulfill badge and leadership responsibilities. Each scout had to plan, manage and lead a community service project. 

James McKay renovated the Woodland Hills High School soccer concession stand and John Gorol organized a bike safety rodeo in Forest Hills.

McKay is a lifelong Forest Hills resident and son of Diann and Jim McKay. He is a WHHS tri-athlete, co-captain of the High School Boys Soccer Team, a WPIAL qualifying member of the High School Varsity Swim Team, and a member of the High School Varsity Tennis Team. He is also the Activities Coordinator for the Interact Club, a National Honor Society inductee, and a member of the High School Ski Club. James also works as a lifeguard for the Woodland Hills Community Swim program. 

He joined scouts when he was 13 years old. His renovation of the soccer concession stand took 230 hours and included stripping and repainting the interior of the stand, sealing and repainting the floor with non-skid material, replacing the countertop and power washing the exterior. 

Gorol also lives in Forest Hills. He is the son of Terri and Bill Gorol. John plans on attending college and is thinking of majoring in the computer field. He has been in scouting for 11 years. Gorol serves as the Vice President of the Junior class. He holds leadership positions in many after school clubs and is a member of several athletic teams. He also volunteers at his church making pierogies and over the last four years, has been promoted from “pincher” to “cook.”

For his Eagle community service, John coordinated a bike safety rodeo that included a bike course, bike safety instruction, bike engraving, free helmets, bike tune-ups and prize giveaways. The bike rodeo was a success, even though the initial date was rained out. Overall, the project took 117 ½ hours of work.