For my Eagle-Scout project, I repaired the boys’ locker room. The whole project only took two days. The first day, I built the benches and locker covers at my house, and the second day, I installed them at Irvington. Some of the lockers were broken, with their doors falling off and failing to close. I removed some of those doors and hinges and installed wooden boards to cover up the lockers so that people wouldn’t throw trash in them. I think I covered up a total of 12 lockers. Then I also replaced two broken benches in the back.

I chose this project because I didn’t particularly like the locker rooms. When I took PE classes, the room was messy and some of the benches were wobbly. Plus, we learn a lot about ourselves and mature more than we ever have in our lives at Irvington. Therefore, I think it’s right that I give back to this school. That’s why I aimed to impact the entire school; future freshmen and sophomores will get to use the new benches and clean lockers.

I fundraised for this project by selling Jamba Juice gift cards. My parents’ friends, some people at school, and a lot of people in my troop bought them. I had some tools and building materials at home already, but I used the money I fundraised to buy whatever I didn’t have.  

The skills I learned as Boy Scout really helped bring about change in my community. I first joined the Boy-Scout program in junior high school after participating in White Stag leadership camps. After participating as a camp member, I decided to become a staff member and train kids year-round. I tried to teach them the leadership skills that I had learned in the camp. It was really cool to give my experiences back to younger kids. The White Stag camps were a big inspiration for me to change the lives of kids in camps and in my school. Because of Boy Scouts, I was not only able to give back to my school but also learn to be independent and break out of my own shell.