She runs on a single electrolyte packet and ultra-processed Gouda cheese.

Around her, the landscape dissolves into trees of ash. Her green Scout shirt has long faded to black, and so has the 40-pound pack strapped to her back.

This isn’t a post-apocalyptic scene from a Steven Spielberg film — it’s junior Evelin Kung’s typical summer as a Scout.

ScoutTreks through fire and brimstone

This summer, Kung joined a Philmont Trail Crew Trek in New Mexico for what she calls “the craziest hike” she’s ever done. For two weeks and roughly 150 miles, she worked in the mountains, carving a new trail connecting Philmont’s two most remote regions — North and South Country.

After acclimating for seven days and six nights, she hiked up the slopes of Cimarroncito Peak.

“There was a wildfire that took out 50,000 acres, so the summit had been inaccessible,” Kung said. “Hiking through the burn was really rough because [there were] no trees and just a blazing sun.”

Even the designated food added its own layer of hardship. Trail Crew issues up to five days of supplies at a time, shuffled randomly among Scouts, so Kung woke to the same two items every morning.

“You have one box of raisins and a nasty thing called a pro-meal bar,” Kung said. “It’s wet oats mushed together with the worst dried fruits you can think of, plus cashews and nuts. It’s 600 calories and the nastiest thing you will ever put your mouth on.”

Despite the setbacks, Kung found wonder in the landscape around her. Along the hike, Kung caught glimpses of bears, skunks, red-tailed hawks, and once camped directly beneath a bald eagle’s nest.

“It’s really eye-opening to see all of the different science-y subjects mushed together,” Kung said. “That made me [think], ‘Yeah, this is pretty cool. I could do something here. I could learn something here.’”

S’more than a leader

Kung’s journey did not begin on mountaintops but in fifth grade. Her older sister transitioned from the Girl Scouts to Scouting America in 2019, when Kung was in fourth grade.

“That was the first year they started allowing girls in,” Kung said. “My dad made her join and subsequently me.”

Since then, Kung has stepped into leadership roles that take her far beyond the average Texas Scout experience. She began as a “lowly” patrol leader of her home troop, then became Houston downtown area chapter chief.

Two years ago, she transitioned to Harris County Council admonition chair, working with kids across Houston ISD, Katy ISD and Spring ISD through ScoutReach — a free three to five day camp to provide extra resources and support for Scouts in low-income, underserved urban and rural communities

ScoutReach became one of Kung’s proudest projects. Under her leadership, the program doubled from 50 to 100 participants. She and her team planned every detail: rocket launches, splash-pad games and the “craziest” tradition of all: Friday night s’mores.

“We bravely miscalculated the chocolate-to-marshmallow ratio, and we ended up with 80 extra Hershey bars,” Kung said. “These kids were doing the money spread with the Hershey bars, because they’ve never seen so much candy in one place.”

Many ScoutReach youth hail from troops that lack access to most Scout program equipment, so the experience was entirely new.

“Never did these kids think that they would be the ones roasting marshmallows against the fire,” Kung said. “They think it’s stuff from the movies. Just the impact that that has on them is like, ‘Whoa! This is like a real thing!’”

But for Kung, the moment is not about s’mores and burnt sugar. She gets to watch kids — Cub Scouts, just like she once was — experience something they never imagined could belong to them.

“By their second marshmallow, they’re locked in,” Kung said. “On their way home, they’re screaming to their parents about how they want to make s’mores.”

Odd one (Sc)out

Not every moment in Scouts has been welcoming for Kung. Although Boy Scouts of America officially rebranded as Scouting America almost six years ago, many people — including Kung, who still instinctively calls it “Boy Scouts” — expect the program to look the way it historically began.

“The moment that stuck with me the most was our very first ScoutReach, where the parents were told this is Boy Scouts,” Kung said. “They show up, and the leadership team is like 70 percent girls. [They were] flabbergasted.”

For the predominantly rural families who participate in ScoutReach, Kung’s appearance is unexpected. But some moments cut deeper beyond surprise, including a recent run-in with a parent who questioned her cultural belonging.

“This lady asked, ‘Where are you from?’ I said, ‘I was born here,’ and she goes, ‘No, where are you really from?’” Kung said. “So I said, ‘Taiwan.’ She goes, ‘Ah, yes — go back to where you came from.’ That was diabolical.”

Several encounters along this narrative have forced Kung to sharpen the awareness of her unique role in Scouting America.

“It happens enough for me to recognize it’s always something I should be prepared for,” Kung said. “The confusion stems from being a girl in Boy Scouts, and that extends to being an Asian. You don’t see very much of that, especially once you get into higher levels of scouting. ”

In Houston, she has helped change what that “typical Scout” looks like. Kung now helps lead the largest female troop in the world, where the ratio of girls to boys is nearly 2:1. Nationally, the ratio is closer to 4:1.

“When you think of Boy Scouts, you think of the tan uniform, the green pants,” Kung said. “But outside of that, there are other organizations within Scouting America that have allowed girls [in] for a lot longer. They’ve set the ground to just be able to join without much of a second thought. Deep in your units, there’s a lot more diversity.”

Even so, Kung relies on those who support her in her day-to-day scouting.

“Of all of the people who have ever asked me that question, I’ve never seen them ever again,” Kung said. “The people that I work with — my advisors and other scouts — they don’t bat an eye.

Gold at the end of the rainbow spreadsheet

Today, Kung’s leadership extends beyond her troop. She teaches others how to lead. Kung serves as the Senior Patrol Leader for the Sam Houston Area Council’s National Youth Leadership Training — the second-youngest Scout to ever hold this role in the Southeast Texas region.

“Every single minute of six days needs to be planned out,” Kung said. “We gather all our staff, show the syllabus on a board, and say, ‘This is what it says, and this is what we’re gonna do.’”

At the center of all that planning is her partnership with co-SPL Javier Torres, a student at Texas A&M University, who works alongside Kung to prepare the staff for the course.

“Her ability to manage teams has allowed her to raise the skill level of all our staff and help them become the best versions of themselves,” Torres said. “She holds servant leadership in the highest regard and is always looking for ways to help.

They design team-building and skill development activities like “human knot” and “helium stick.” These require hours of coordination and leadership, evident in their signature rainbow color-coded spreadsheets.

“We’ve learned how to move on our feet,” Kung said. “We call it a youth-run program, which means the youth gets all the power — until you mess up. And when you do, the adults are always there. It’s a good analogy for life, because there’s always a safety net.”

That safety net became literal during the second-ever ScoutReach, when Kung was fully in charge. A rainstorm hit. Then a tornado. The camp flooded nine feet less than 24 hours before the kids arrived.

“Everything was planned and already paid for, “ Kung said. “We couldn’t just say, ‘Sorry, it flooded nine feet.’ But the adults were there. They were willing to help.”

Kung skipped school and grabbed shovels, buckets, a skid steer, and a bulldozer. With her ScoutReach team and mentors, they moved the floodwater into a nearby lake. Natural disasters and logistical setbacks act not as barriers, but as reinforcers of Kung’s ability to keep moving and plan beyond chaos.

“Scouts teaches thinking outside of the box, thinking on your feet,” Kung said. “It’s adding on to your problem-solving and solving it one step at a time. How do you eat elephants? One bite at a time.”

Torres watches Kung demonstrate her instincts in challenging circumstances.

“When we work together, she’s very good at keeping a positive outlook and coming up with creative solutions to the various problems we encounter,” Torres said. “She’s helped me to stay calmer in the face of problems and find the good in difficult situations.”

Just keep swimming

Kung credits much of her growth to her mentor Nicole Ross, a senior at Texas A&M University. In middle school, she connected with Ross and developed an invaluable relationship that has lasted ever since.

“When I first met Evelin, she was quiet but intensely observant,” Ross said. “She didn’t talk much, but she didn’t miss anything. You could already tell she was storing everything — every lesson, every mistake — and turning it into something useful.”

Kung relied on Ross through each step of her journey.

“She’s really helped me navigate how to get through all of the leadership positions that I’ve been through in the program,” Kung said. “She’s just all-knowing. I used to text her like, ‘Hey, man, I have no earthly idea what I’m doing.’ She’s like, ‘All right, let’s think through this.’”

Ross watched as Kung’s uncertainty gradually gave way to confidence.

“Some people grow slowly, and some people grow in leaps — Evelin leaps,” Ross said. “She became the kind of leader other kids gravitate toward because she listens, she adapts, and she never expects anyone to do something she wouldn’t do herself.”

Now, younger Scouts confide in her the same way.

“I’ve got kids texting me, going, ‘Chat, I have no idea what I’m doing,” Kung said. “I guess it’s my turn. It’s weird and interesting and really makes you wonder.”

Torres notices Kung’s meaningful impact on many younger scouts.

“Being a six-time staffer, she has influenced countless youth to take the first steps in their leadership journey,” Torres said. “Her energy and positive attitude have helped [them] come out of their shells and be a more authentic version of themselves.”

Nicole left her with one idea that Kung now carries everywhere, through wildfire-ravaged forests, burnt marshmallows and flooded camps.

“One of my favorite quotes that she says is ‘Only dead fish go with the flow,’ Kung said. “So the question is, are you a dead fish? No, I’m not a dead fish. Go against the current. Do what you think is right. And that’s gonna be your luck.”