Floral Park’s Centennial Gardens look a bit more pristine recently, thanks to the work of Miles Lucatorto, an Eagle Scout whose project installed 180 fence posts around the park.
Lucatarto, born and raised in Floral Park, has put 13 years into Scouting America. He’s stuck with it so long because it encompasses so much of what he loves. By spending time outdoors and working with his hands, he said he has learned a lot and made lifelong friends through the organization.
“I’ve been going there since I was a kid,” he said. “From the second I saw these posts, I knew I needed to do something about it.”
During his time with the Scouts, he worked at Onteora Scout Reservation, a camp in Sullivan County. He said he has explored national parks, hiked through rivers and camped in some beautiful places in the western and northeastern parts of the country.
Lucatorto is the third of his siblings to reach the highest rank in scouting. His older sister, Emerson, achieved the Gold Scout rank in Girl Scouts, and his brother Joseph is a fellow Eagle.
“I’ve always been super connected with being outdoors and everything that comes with it,” he said, saying he’s been surrounded by the organization his whole life. “I felt it was incredibly rewarding.”
He said that Scouts is more than just time for the outdoors and learning skills; it also provides community. After switching between troops a few times in the past, he said he was glad to join Troop 4, where many of his Floral Park friends were. He added that he appreciated the leaders from his old group, Troop 132.
“No hard feelings toward them, they were some of the most influential people I’ve ever met,” Lucatorto said. “But when I heard that I had a lot of close friends in Troop 4 in Floral Park, the offer was too good to pass up.
“Some of those guys are still my closest friends,” he said.
Lucatorto just started his first year at the University of Connecticut, where he’s focusing on mechanical engineering. He said he is interested in understanding cars and has always wanted to go into the automotive industry.
He is involved in the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers, through which he works on a team building two small cars from the ground up.
“I work with the engines, in and out, on one of the cars,” he said. “I love it, I put all my time there.”
He said in the future he hopes to work on the back end of car manufacturing, with production and design.
“Scouting taught me how to lead with purpose, follow through on commitments, and serve others in meaningful ways,” Lucatorto said. “I love to highlight all the people, all the hands pushing me up to this. I always felt the value in that. I wouldn’t be at this point without them.”
