Millun Atluri is a young man with a huge future ahead of him. He is intelligent, philosophical and practical.

He is only 14 years old, but Atluri is an Eagle Scout. To earn his Eagle badge, he took on the task of transforming Mercy Folsom’s dilapidated “Friendship Garden” into a beautiful new “Healing Garden.” The garden, first created in Atluri’s mind, is complete with an impressive solar powered fountain that he desperately wanted. “The sound is soothing and healing,” says Atluri. That same motivation inspired him to suggest and pitch a sound system installation for the waiting room area of Mercy’s ER. “The project took about 1,000 hours with 70 volunteers working over a period of six days,” he says.

Atluri and his crew of Scouts planted more than 100 trees, shrubs and perennials, all of which Atluri selected personally, and they even installed the fountain and a white picket fence. However, for Atluri, landscaping is not his long-term goal; rather, he plans to become a surgeon. He decided on this path when visiting his father in the hospital. Does he find the prospect of medical school daunting? Atluri says, “You know, if you believe that you can accomplish something, you can. If you believe you cannot, you cannot.”

For more about Millun Atluri, and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – Folsom, El Dorado Hills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.