At the age of 15, I was honored by my parents, my friends, my troop leaders, and by the Boy Scout institution with the highest rank of Eagle Scout. This honor was the culmination of years of childhood experiences consisting of weekly troop meetings and an uncountable number of training and physical activities year-round. It was the ultimate accomplishment for me as an adolescent.
I have been blessed with a great deal of perseverance, dedication, and a will to succeed. Thus, I made some significant sacrifices in my quest to obtain the Eagle Rank, including forgoing a family vacation to Europe so that I could complete a commitment I had made to my Scout patrol. Despite these sacrifices, I completed my scouting career with distinction as one of the youngest scouts to complete the rank of Eagle. My dedication to scouting went above the simple principles of being prepared or of being an upright citizen.
It had everything to do with feeling a sense of belonging and accomplishment.
The Eagle Scout rank that I still uphold has been a source of inspiration. Scouting helped me to grow and mature significantly through my childhood and taught me many lessons in self-discipline, commitment, leadership, and self-confidence.