Scouting, umpiring and academics keep local college student busy

Wantage — Bob DeMaria, a student at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, will be the captain of the Stevens Race Ski Team for the second year. He has represented Stevens twice in Steamboat, Colo., once for the Nastar competitions. DeMaria is a 2007 graduate of High Point High School and keeps his connection with his hometown as a Little League umpire for games in Wantage and throughout the county. He also remains active with Boy Scout Troop 97 in Wantage, and he attends every Cub Scout meeting in Hoboken. DeMaria is an active member of the Order of the Arrow, a Scouting group described as “the National Honor Society of Scouting.” He just finished a year as section vice chief. He received the Founders Award, the highest award in the Order of the Arrow. As a member, he attended Philmont in New Mexico, a trip that entails “giving back.” He and his crew worked in the forest building hiking trails. Prior to attending, he was coached by John Fisher of Sussex, an Eagle Scout himself, on the rigorous regimen the trip entailed. While at Stevens, he has been active with Alpha Phi Omega, the national service fraternity. He was named to the Dean’s list status for the fourth consecutive semester at Stevens, where he is majoring in mechanical engineering, with a minor in macrotronics. For the third consecutive year, he was awarded the Stevens Grant, President’s Grant and a tuition aid grant of $40,000.