Balancing school, social life and Eagle Scouts is a lot of work. Throw massive projects on top of that, and they are under a lot of pressure. Woodgrove students are going above and beyond, rising to the daunting task of Eagle Scout projects. Their projects are the students’ final step in becoming an Eagle Scout. It is the final test to prove that all the work the students have put in over the years paid off. These students have dedicated the last couple of years to helping out their community, from passing out food to helping in elderly homes and picking up trash around our community. These are just a few of the many examples of what these Scouts are doing to better our community while also learning important life skills like leadership, communication, and service.
Robby Creighton is a current Woodgrove senior who has been in Boy Scouts for six years. His project was making a food garden in order to grow food for the hungry and homeless. This garden was made in Purcellville at Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church. He started planning in November of 2023 and finished the project this past April. “I wanted to help out the community, and there was an opportunity to lead this project. I thought that it would be a great Eagle project,” claimed Creighton. He saw this project as a way to help the community and, on top of that, better a church group that he is heavily involved in. Even though the project will take a year of continuous work, Creighton has finished the startup and plans to hand off the project to the church when he leaves for college.
Brandon Wren has been a Boy Scout for seven years and just finished his Eagle Scout project at the start of October. He reconstructed a pathway that was grass and gravel at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Arlington. The pathway would flood very easily and was in need of reconstruction. Wren and his team of volunteers Carson Williams, Logan Laforty, Colton White, Luke Rumsey, Thomas Bennett, Tovi Graham, Cole Taber, Zachary Hargreaves, and Nathan Wren worked for four long days. Throughout this project and his whole childhood,
Boy Scouts has always been a very important part of Wren’s life. He expressed, “Becoming an Eagle Scout will be the proudest moment of my life. It’s the culmination of years of experience and countless hours in the service of others. I have learned that leadership requires both confidence and humility. A good leader guides all their underlings to strive for success.” This truly shows the level of commitment that these Scouts have when leading and serving within their community.
Braedon Becker has been a Boy Scout for twelve years. Throughout Boy Scouts, he has learned many valuable lessons. Becker stated, “I wouldn’t be the man I am today without growing to be an Eagle Scout. It has truly shaped me into the man I am today.” To some it might just seem like an accomplishment, but to these Scouts, it is their world. Becker made a wild flower meadow behind Hope’s Garden in Hillsboro for his Eagle Scout project. The project was completed in one day thanks to Becker’s volunteers and the Hope’s Garden Staff. This project completed his quest to become an Eagle Scout, but Becker doesn’t see himself as done; he plans to stay involved in the community and helping out younger Scouts.
While becoming an Eagle Scout may seem insignificant to some, according to Scouting America, only around 6.5% of Boy Scouts become one. This is a huge accomplishment for these boys. While all three of these students plan to continue down the path of Boy Scouts in some way, these scouts also attempt to better our community every day as they follow their motto: “Do a good turn daily.”