Whiz Kid: Mike DiRenzo, Mount Sinai Senior to Receive Eagle Scout Award

Meet Mike DiRenzo, Whiz Kid. Mike is currently a graduating senior, class of 2011 at Mount Sinai High School. A member of troop #454 he will be awarded the highest honor in The Boy Scouts of America's Program, the Eagle Scout Award. The award stands for strength of character, a symbol of what a scout has achieved. 

Mike recently spoke with the Port Jefferson Patch about his Eagle Scout Award project and his future plans as a graduating senior. 

How long have you been involved with Boy Scouts?

I’ve been in Boy Scouts quite a long time. I started as a Cub Scout all the way back, so I guess total ten or eleven years. It has been awhile.

Why have you stayed with scouting this long?

I’ve have always known that accomplishing Eagle was incredibly important thing, it will follow you for the rest of your life. It’s a combination of just plain fun, and it’s something that will help you for the rest of your life too.

How did you come up with your project for the Eagle Award, E-Waste?

I wanted to do something a little different. Most people, their projects are building a shed or a sign. And that's great and you can actually see the results but this is something worth while. It’s raising awareness about an issue that is very prevalent in our community. I have gotten so much stuff, way more then I expected. People obviously didn’t know about it, and now they do.

To accomplish this your working with Goodwill Industries?

Yes. Goodwill Industries, their reconnect program that they do with Dell I believe. The day of the collection they will send a truck and take it back to their warehouse and they will recyle it in an environmental friendly manner. They do not ship it to foreign countries like other companies do.

I first saw you at the Green Fest, so what inspired you to come out that day and talk to people about your project?

was all about the environment, saving money, helping out, reducing pollution etc. So I figured it would be a gathering of like minded people and this would be perfect for my project.

The Mayor of Port Jefferson also showed some interest in what your doing?

Yes, she was very positive. And in fact the next day I got a call from her that she was going to talk to the , and see if they had anything to donate. So she helped spread the word, which is great.

So the collection is taking place this Saturday June 18?

Yes, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at in the parking lot, at 300 Terryville Road in Port Jefferson Sation. People can bring down any electronics: computers, laptops, monitors, printers, scanners, hard drives, speakers, cords and cables, ink cartridges and even software. And non computer related items also like a stereo, TV or even a cell phone. It can be broken or used, any condition.

How do you feel about the response you've gotten from the community?

I’m impressed with how the project is going, I didn’t expect to get what I’m getting. And I’ve also done a lot of networking which I didn’t intend to do. My living room is actually lined with stuff right now. There is at least fifty or sixty things sitting right in front of me. I really didn’t expect it at all. It’s been great.

As a graduating senior, what are your future plans?

I’m going to major in computer science and pursue a Ph.D in that field. I’m a very technologically oriented person.