Exploration. Achievement. The great outdoors. Many young fifth-graders, fresh out of Cub Scouts, find appeal in joining the Boy Scouts. Full of adventure and new friendships, scouting promises a world of self-discovery. Yet only 4 percent reach the Eagle Scout ranking—the highest honor.
After years of participation and one significant volunteer project, as many as 18 Edina High School seniors defied those odds and earned the Eagle Scout honor before their graduation. They include Alec McFarlane, Michael Violante and Jesse Marquisee, who have given back to organizations near to their hearts. Their efforts are inspiring.
Giving Back Twofold
Alec McFarlane spent the summer before his junior year volunteering at Sharing and Caring Hands, a nonprofit whose mission includes a transitional housing component. His involvement as a summer reading tutor spurred the idea for his Eagle Scout project. “I noticed that they had some books there for the kids to read, but there were none for the kids to bring home,” McFarlane says. He set out to change that.
After thoughtful planning, securing scout leader approval and several revisions, McFarlane’s idea for a book drive came to fruition. He far surpassed his original goal of 1,000 books. On one afternoon in late 2012, McFarlane donated 2,973 books to deserving young readers. “Just watching the kids in extreme poverty who haven’t really had much of their own, they can read for themselves,” he says. “It was rewarding to see them go and choose what they wanted.”
McFarlane thanks his father and his troop for their support in achieving his Eagle Scout honor. He hopes to pursue a degree in mass communications or political science this fall.
A Project with a Purpose
Michael Violante wanted to choose a service project that would continue long after he finished. After connecting with Fr. Tim Manatt through a men’s club fish fry, who mentioned the need for a community gaden, he turned to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis. With the help of family and friends, Violante constructed an 8-foot by 24-foot vegetable garden and compost bin on the school’s grounds. “I felt better knowing that I was doing something that could actually be used,” Violante says. Cristo Rey teacher Andrew Barron furthered Violante’s efforts by educating students on healthy living and sustainability. “It was a project with a purpose,” Violante says.
Violante’s Eagle Scout award was a bittersweet honor . He will pursue a degree in criminal justice and economics this fall, and says he will take the skills he discovered through scouting along with him.
Turning to his Roots
Jesse Marquisee’s service project turned him into a leader. He recruited friends and family members, overcame unforeseen challenges and helped a worthy cause. In fact, he inspired a fellow senior to volunteer for the first time. She returned weekend after weekend, and wrote her college essay on the experience.
Marquisee set out to find a project that helped the Jewish community. “It’s another community that I feel I belong to,” he says. He partnered with the Sholom Home, a retirement facility in St. Louis Park, and revamped one of its front gardens. Marquisee and his team tore out the previous garden, created a new entrance, planted and fixed benches. The week following the project’s completion, Marquisee returned to the site. What he found made the hard work worthwhile. “Minutes after I took the plastic off of the benches, there was an elderly woman sitting on a bench, and that made me really happy,” he says.
This summer, Marquisee will give back to the organization that inspired him throughout his childhood. He’s worked at a youth leadership camp to train younger scouts in the past, and might return this summer. “I will always carry the fact that I am an Eagle Scout with me,” he says.
Other current Edina High School seniors who have earned their Eagle Scout award in the last two years: Including: Matt Razidlo, Blake Levin, Brady Komarek, Will Vanderbilt, Alec Nelson, Ben Kilberg and Weston Hirschey (Troop 68); Phil Andre, Nick Auld, Joe Sogard, Dan Sullivan, Ian Walsh and Sam Wright (Troop 62); Bobby Martin and Max Martin (Troop 84); Will Hagens, Jack Kewitsch and Andrew Brandt (Troop 102).
To learn more about the Boy Scouts of America program, visit their website.
