This 5th grader is going to change the world — or at least Auburn (no, really)
Last night — long after the sun had set, the office doors had closed, and the city emptied as people returned home — a young boy did the opposite.
His name is Tadghan (pronounced “Tygan”) Giarratano, and we had the good pleasure of meeting the 10-year-old during his visit to City Hall Wednesday evening to ask Mayor Nancy Backus a few questions. Why? Because it’s all part of an assignment for his Boy Scout troop.
In time, we talked about homelessness, crime and resources available in the community. We talked about Kent Hay and the City of Auburn Anti-Homelessness Team, and the round-the-clock work they do connecting Auburn’s unhoused with resources across the Puget Sound.
Mayor Backus talked about her approach: Housing first, then the rest. It follows what’s called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which states that five categories of human needs dictate an individual’s behavior. Those needs are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Imagined as a pyramid, only once the first level of needs (physiological) is met, can the rest be addressed, until you hit the very top. That means, Mayor Backus explained, that housing comes first, then what follows can truly hit the root of the issue.
But for the first half-hour or so, it was the Tadghan show. The young man has quite an impressive resume, despite only being in the 5th grade. When he’s not in Boy Scouts, you can find him in math competitions as part of his school’s math team. If you’re like most people, chances are you have no idea what that is. Don’t worry, Tadghan loves to explain.
It’s basically most students’ worst nightmare: hours-long tests, graded against teams and peers across the region. Some can only be answered using your head — no notes, no scribbling, one answer. If you write something down and change your mind, too late. Then there are the days with six tests, back to back to back to back.
Tadghan’s math teacher has some wisdom, though.
“If you don’t know it, just write something down!” Tadghan exclaims. “That way, at least you have a chance. It’s not big, but it’s a chance.”
If you thought that was a lot, just wait. He also does taekwondo several times a week. He’s a red belt now, on his way to black (his master doesn’t believe in brown belts so there are none — just several levels of each belt meant to replace them). Soon, he’s going to have to train even more during the week and teach a few classes.
And then there’s a Lego League. It is what it sounds like: a bunch of excited students building Legos. But of course, that wouldn’t be enough. What they’re building are robots, meant to do certain tasks. One could be navigating a maze quicker than the others. Or shooting a ball into a hoop. The students build the blocks around a computer, connected to another. It runs a program (they make those, too, obviously) and the robot comes alive.
So do Tadghan’s eyes when he reminisces about the most recent competition in Tacoma. It was 12 hours in total. And on a Sunday, no less.
“That was a lot,” he admits.
Ask him what all of these hobbies, extracurriculars and lack of rest are building towards, and he’ll tell you outright: he wants to be an astrophysicist, like his hero Neil deGrasse Tyson. Or an astronomer. In some ways, they’re similar enough, he says, that he has trouble picking a favorite.
Regardless, when he does have a free evening, you can bet he’ll be spending it rewatching episodes of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (and who do you think hosts that?).
So bravo, Tadghan. One day you’ll be running something — hopefully, it’s in Auburn.
