Wednesday, March 4, 1998
A real Boy Scout
PROFILE: David Tuckman has devoted countless hours to community
services, and hopes to motivate others
to follow his lead
By Michelle Navarro
Daily Bruin Staff
David Tuckman leaves not even the busiest person with an excuse
to hide from community service. He is the salesman for
volunteering. But with a record of about 40 to 50 organizations
under his belt, this preacher of goodwill also practices what he
preaches.
Volunteering is what the fourth-year political science student
is all about. Beginning as far back as the second grade, when most
kids only had cooties and Legos on their minds, Tuckman was already
involved with an organization famous for service, the Boy Scouts of
America.
"When he was younger, before he was driving, I was running
around town taking him everywhere," said Morris Tuckman of his son.
"It’s a pleasure now that he’s driving."
His early involvement may be attributed to the fact that the
majority of Tuckman’s family is or was involved with service as
well.
"My whole family is community-service oriented," he said, "I
have been raised knowing that as a citizen in America we have so
many advantages compared with the rest of the world, that we’re
really privileged and we should try to give back to our own
citizens and the world."
Tuckman’s father, a U.S. Treasury agent, was involved with the
Boy Scouts for 10 years, his mother is a teaching assistant and
several of his relatives are active in scouting and law
enforcement.
At Grant High School, Tuckman joined several organizations,
including the Key Club, a community service group, Staff Diversity
Board, and Hands Across Campus, a group devoted to promoting campus
unity and understanding. Tuckman also ran for the track and field
team.
"He was one of the hardest workers we had out there," said Pat
Pinkston, who was the track and field coach at the time. "He would
do any work out we put out there for him. He was very loyal and
worked hard."
In January of 1993, Tuckman received the Eagle Scout Award – the
highest scout rank which requires the recipient to prove
proficiency in certain crafts and skills.
"(Becoming an Eagle Scout) taught me to fight for what I believe
in, to give back to the community, that I should have respect for
my country and that I should try to help other people," Tuckman
said. "It’s helped me to become a leader and shape who I am
today."
It is a difficult honor to achieve, one that less than 2.5
percent of Boy Scouts have actually accomplished. The elite list
includes such well-known leaders like former President Gerald Ford,
astronaut John Glenn, actor James Stewart and director Steven
Spielberg.
Now the young student from North Hollywood is among them, and
with his long history of service and his current passion and zeal
to make a difference, he has proved his worth.
Not only have the Boy Scouts recognized this, but so has the
U.S. Congress. Last year, Tuckman was one of 24 recipients from
across the nation given the Congressional Award for excellence in
volunteerism, personal development, physical fitness and
exploration.
"I was shocked," Tuckman said, "I couldn’t believe it. It’s the
highest honor, the biggest in my life. It shows the whole country
how dedicated we Bruins are to community service."
For the exploration and physical fitness factors, Tuckman
applied his role as co-captain of the track and field team at Grant
High School and the two summers he spent at the U.S. Marine Corps’
Pride and Guts training program at Camp Pendleton.
"It was a unique experience," he said, "I learned what it was
like taking orders and having a lack of liberty. I was the only
Eagle Scout there, so they expected more from me."
If the world expects more from Tuckman because of who he is,
than he will give it to them. Recently Tuckman has been active as a
volunteer or as a leader in a slew of organizations both on and off
campus.
Among the ones the UCLA student spoke of the most were the
Circle K Club (the college version of the Key Club), Alpha Phi
Omega – a fraternity for college Boy and Girl Scouts, Jewish
Student Union, LAPD Explorer Scouts, American Red Cross, Model
United Nations, Ha’am Newsmagazine, Transfer Students Association
and the Student Alumni Association.
"Most of my time is devoted to school and community service,"
Tuckman said. "For me it’s amazing, I ask myself how I do all of
this and I don’t know."
While in the LAPD Explorer Scouts, Tuckman kept himself busy in
the outreach program where he would visit high schools to talk
about the DARE program to prevent students from using illegal
drugs.
"If you talk to people when they are young and get them at that
point," he said, "it can get them on the right track."
Tuckman is very involved with the youth via scouts as well,
however he said he also devotes time to adults, particularly the
homeless.
"You always see people who are walking the streets and you
realize there are certain situations where anyone can become
homeless," Tuckman said, while talking about Circle K’s "project
angel-food," a service that calls for the volunteers to package and
ship food to AIDS patients, "we have a duty to give back to the
community, we have so much freedom and opportunity and we should
take advantage of that.
The dedicated Bruin is extremely adamant in his mission to get
others to volunteer too. He agrees somewhat with the skeptical view
that one person can’t make that much of a difference. But, he
believes that if one person could set off a chain reaction, then
things can happen. That’s one of the reasons why he chose UCLA.
"I came to UCLA because I heard so much about how it was
dedicated to doing service," Tuckman explained. "One thing I like
about UCLA is that you can motivate other people so they’ll be
leaders and the chain will continue. We are the future of the
country."
He hopes that by setting an example, others will be motivated to
do service work as well.
"I just hope that through all the leadership I have done, I can
motivate," he said. "Hopefully, a freshman will see this and say
‘wow, this is amazing, look at all the service. If he can do it, I
can do it.’ If that person gets out there and volunteers, I’ll be
happy."
Being David Tuckman demands a lot of work and time. So much so
that even friends question his dedication to others and lack of
attention to himself – in other words, how can he have a life?
Tuckman retaliates by saying that when working with people he
cares about in a club, he tends to have fun and it evolves into a
social activity. With an exasperated, yet defensive hint in his
voice Tuckman said, he has a life.
"I’m an athlete, student, student leader, and volunteer, and
believe me I will find time to do social activities in my schedule.
I have a life," Tuckman declared, "Some people would disagree with
that but there’s a life in there somewhere."
Somewhere, between all the hours of service, the selfish fun
exists. For many, however, that’s not enough. When it comes down to
a choice between going to a basketball game or going to feed the
homeless, how many honestly would choose the latter?
Tuckman has a motivation that’s rare, a motivation that is born
from optimism and the belief that he can make changes.
"If I didn’t believe I could help alleviate problems in the
community, country or the world, then I think I wouldn’t be
involved. But I would at least give it a try," Tuckman said.
"Everyone should try. You don’t have to rank in thousands of
hours to make a difference. Whatever you do, it will benefit
someone, the important thing is to get out there."
Tuckman implores for his fellow students to give volunteering a
shot.
"Then you’ll understand how I feel and what service means to me.
Just take the first step," the volunteering salesman invites, "it’s
never too late."
YEN YEN LEE
David Tuckman speaks about his community service activities
during a Circle K club meeting.