Omkar Tamhane, a rising Lambert senior, is a highly accomplished and involved student. He is the new Historian of Beta Club, the Co-Captain of the Science Olympiad team and is involved in HOSA and SGA. Outside of school, he is a 6-year member of the Scouts of America.

“I got my Eagle Scout in ninth grade, and recently, I have gotten all 137 merit badges, which is the highest number of merit badges you can get,” Tamhane said.

Being in Troop 27 in the Atlanta Area Council in the Northern Ridge District, he became an Eagle Scout in the fall of 2019 when Omkar was 15. His project consisted of designing and creating an outdoor arbor for Johns Creek Elementary as well as landscaping the plants near the school’s flagpole. This is a great accomplishment as fewer than 500 scouts in the history of scouting have earned all 137 merit badges. 

“Attending Merit Badge Clinics was memorable to me as I experienced new things as I traveled and met new people,” Tamhane said. 

A part of obtaining these badges includes scuba diving, backpacking, hiking, fishing, skiing, and rifle shooting. One of the most impactful activities that allowed Omkar to gain his badge was backpacking, which consisted of attending the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron New Mexico.

“It was truly amazing to backpack in New Mexico. I spent 14 days with my Troop, and I met people from all across America,” Omkar reminisced. 

The plethora of outdoor activities that Omkar participated in definitely taught him more about not only the outside world but influenced how he grew as a person. 

“I’ve gotten more extroverted, more open, more able to talk to people, as well as trying new things which is rewarding,” Tamhane stated. 

Being able to try new things and adventure out into the world was a skill that is not only crucial in life outside of school but in school too. Omkar has a number of other achievements that stem from his ability to try new things such as having a physics major at GHP and tutoring at Mathnasium. It also helps with the jobs he wants in the future, which is going into med. Omkar’s goal is to become either a General Practitioner or go into Anesthesiology. Skills Omkar has gained that will help with his future occupation include being good with teamwork, public speaking, and being able to communicate and work with people.

“My motto is, especially in high school, whatever opportunity you are presented with, you take that opportunity,” Tamhane mentioned. 

This mindset definitely allowed Omkar to maintain his busy schedule with a mix of both school and extracurriculars and presented him with many opportunities. Grabbing potential opportunities and gaining many skills along the way pushes Omkar along his journey to success.