Reflective Essay: Achieving Eagle Rank In Boy Scouts

In order to satisfy the requirement of leading a project to achieve Eagle Rank in Boy Scouts, I took on an uncommon venture in which I gained substantial life skills. Seeking out a unique project, I came across the overwhelmingly neglected Gleason Cemetery, a burial ground for early settlers in Oregon which clearly required restoration. I recruited friends, family, and fellow scouts to assist me as my weed-pulling arsenal. Along with delegating tasks, I labored alongside each worker. In between sessions of removing ivy and blackberry bushes, I created a map of the cemetery, recording the names of all 21 residents in order to assist the local historical society acting as my project’s beneficiary. Under my guidance, a forest of invasive flora was restored back into a memorial for those who passed away many decades ago.
During the 11 months in which I spent restoring the abandoned pioneer cemetery, I learned what it took to mobilize a team, lead by example, and work meticulously to produce outstanding results. At the University of Oregon, I plan to use these abilities to take control of my education, help others in their studies, and act as a significant changemaker on campus.
A long line of cars waiting to make deliveries circled around my school’s parking lot. Gladstone’s Adopt-a-Family program made it possible for struggling members of my town to provide their children with toys and food, allowing them to put aside their financial troubles and focus on more important things. My role in the annual event, like most others, was a small one in which I sorted toys and carried boxes of food out to volunteers’ cars. However, when over 50 enthusiastic people carry out large feats such as this one, great things can easily be