By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
For his Eagle Scout project, Zach Cesarini pondered the possibilities.
“I was kind of trying to go for something outside the box,” he said.
But instead he found the answer inside several boxes.
Cesarini, a Bowling Green High School junior and member of Conneaut Boy Scout Troop 422, recently refurbished about 26 computers for several local non-profit organizations.
“I figured some of the non-profits who run on low budgets could use them,” said the son of Paul and Lisa McHugh Cesarini.
The computers were donated by Marathon Petroleum, which had several two-year-old never used computers in its warehouse. The computers hadn’t met the particular specifications of Marathon Petroleum, so they were just taking up warehouse space, Cesarini said.
“They were really all for it,” he said of the company.
Cesarini and his dad run a small computer refurbishing business on Facebook Marketplace, so Zach already had the skills. With Marathon’s help, he had the computers.
So he then had to find local non-profit groups that could make good use of the computers. Cesarini enlisted the help of Maumee Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation to connect him with organizations.
With the help of the church, he found homes for the refurbished computers at places like the Wood County Humane Society, the Brown Bag Project, the Cocoon, and the Rutherford B. Hayes museum.
“It was really nice to know that the computers were going to good places, to be used for good causes,” Cesarini said.
Taking precautions like wearing a mask and social distancing, he dropped off the computers to the non-profit groups.
“It was kind of difficult because of COVID,” he said. “It was nice to see the reaction on people’s faces.”
And at the humane society, there was an extra bonus for Cesarini.
“I got to hang out with some dogs,” he said.
Cesarini estimated he spent about 90 hours refurbishing the computers, with the updates taking longer than he originally expected. He juggled his Eagle Scout project with school and his part-time job at Kroger.
Cesarini first joined Cub Scouts at age 7, then progressed to Boy Scouts at age 11.
“Scouting has really just opened my eyes, and helped me to appreciate the stuff I have around me, and made me want to improve myself,” he said.
He treasures the friendships he has made through scouting.
“I’ve had awesome experiences with awesome people,” he said.
Cesarini is still considering all his options for college and career after he graduates from BGHS. Right now he is leaning toward a career in architecture or graphic design – “so I can use my creative side” – inside or outside the box.
