Eagle of the Week

On the quiet shores of Pearl Harbor, where history echoes across the waters, Ethan M., learned about history as a young Scout. Now, clad in full uniform and completing his Eagle project, he embodies the spirit of remembrance, civic duty, and patriotism central to Scouting America which was covered by WUSA9 this past week.

Scouting America has long emphasized the value of historical awareness. Through programs that encourage visits to memorials, participation in flag ceremonies, and interactions with veterans, Scouts learn that honoring the past is essential to shaping responsible citizens of the future.

This young Scout’s story is a reminder that remembrance is not confined to textbooks or history class. For many Scouts, especially those with family ties to military service, these moments become deeply personal. The quiet act of saluting a fallen generation forms a bridge between youth and legacy, linking the ideals of Scouting with the enduring values of sacrifice and service.

In a time when civic engagement can feel distant to many young Americans, Scouting continues to nurture a sense of duty grounded in empathy and national heritage. At Pearl Harbor, that mission lives on: not just in grand speeches or ceremonies, but in the steady, respectful stance of a boy honoring heroes long gone.

Congratulations to the new Potomac District Eagle Scouts and their proud families!
Thank you to everyone who assisted these Life Scouts along their journey to reach the Eagle rank.

Special thanks to Larry McNiece, Advisor for the Eagle Scout Board, and Robert Owen for sharing the photo.

Thomas L., a member of Troop 162 in Arlington, Virginia, received recognition for his Eagle Scout Project on Arlington Now.

His project was designed to help his school’s outdoor track-and-field program by upgrading the W-L shot-put sector.

Read the full article here: Arlington Now

In September, Mia R. became an Eagle Scout after completing her Eagle Scout Project that sought to improve the conditions of Sky Meadows State Park.

Mia is part of Troop 1865G, a unit from the Buke Lake District. Mia joined Scouting when she was 14, dedicating almost four years of participation before receiving her Eagle. As a Scout, Mia has earned over 40 merit badges, visited Philmont and works as a camp counselor at Camp Rodney. 

“I really like Scouts and I’m really glad I got to be part of it,” Mia said. 

The Sky Meadows State Park provided a program called Youth Conservation Corps that Mia participated in during 9th grade. With this opportunity, she formed connections from the park and reached out to them when she was ready to start her project. Mia had in mind that she wanted it to involve building, which led to the idea of building a trail. 

The idea sparked because the park is well known for its astronomy program, so many visitors will park and walk 170 feet to reach the visitors center. Because these visitors walked along the road, it became a traffic hazard. She hoped the trail would provide a safer and more distinct place for visitors to walk on. 

“They were having a lot of trouble with that and so they wanted to have the trail right now,” Mia said. “There was, in theory, a trail, but it was more just a grass path undistinguishable from the other grass that you were supposed to walk on, but you had no means of knowing to walk on it.” 

With the help of her Troop, Mia dug out a trail, lined it with metal edging, put down landscaping fabric and covered it in gravel. Her project also consisted of installing two signposts and building a bench with her dad. 

Mia spent 37 to 40 hours on her project and with her 37 volunteers, they totaled up to around 300 hours. 

One challenge Mia faced was transportation because the park is 50 minutes away from her home. Despite this, she got her volunteers to meet at her house and carpool to the park together. Mia was also unsure if she would manage to get enough volunteers, but after reaching out to friends, she exceeded her expectations. 

“I was constantly texting people, ‘hey can you be there?’” Mia said. “So, the fact we got 37, it’s kind of a miracle.” 

Finding the funding for the project was another factor Mia had to consider. When she went to the Lowes in Gainesville, Virginia, they gave her the metal edging completely for free. The park also supplied the gravel, showing how large of a group effort it was to finish the project. 

The project allowed Mia to learn how to communicate with adults, as well as continuing her leadership skills that she has learned from being Senior Patrol Leader. Mia joined Scouting to learn skills such as first aid but has recognized this skill as an ability to help others. 

“I feel like maybe I wouldn’t have stopped on the street to help someone before I joined Scouts,” Mia said. “But now I definitely would, because I’ve learned a lot, and I think I’ve become a better person.” 

Jaiden R. completed her Eagle Scout rank in September after creating three little libraries for her synagogue as her Eagle Scout Project to improve literacy and accessibility to books.

As a member Troop 987G, Jaiden has participated in Scouting for three and a half years. She achieved her Eagle this past summer and has also participated as a Senior Patrol Leader for two terms. One of the first female Eagle Scouts in the country was a founding member of her Troop, showing the possibilities for girls in Scouting.

“She joined as soon as it was possible,” Jaiden said. “First wave, first day possible.”

Jaiden put her three libraries in a variety of areas around Vienna for her synagogue, Temple Rodef Shalom. She spent 52 hours on the project, but with the participation of her father as the project advisor and her Troop, it was around 300 cumulative hours. 

Staff from Jaiden’s Troop came in two sessions to cut, paint and build the structure. On her own, she installed the doors, touched up the paint and put the boxes on the post at all the locations.  

“It really livens up the community and I wanted to do that for my synagogue because it’s also a very community-centric place,” Jaiden said. “I thought a lot of people could benefit from that.” 

Jaiden planned to only make one little library but ended up raising more than her initial goal. With only one beneficiary lined up, she got the experience of reaching out to government organizations to find more beneficiaries. Despite this challenge, Jaiden had friends that helped her reach her goals and found a community for her project. 

Jaiden decided to create these libraries because of her love for reading. She hoped to encourage literacy for kids and made sure the locations were accessible for them, placing them near a path by the elementary school. 

“A lot of people can access it, and it can really help enrich people’s lives,” Jaiden said.  

With this project, Jaiden was able to learn and improve skills such as carpentry, reaching out to different organizations and working towards a goal. The libraries also allow her to help others by providing kids with the opportunity to learn new skills.

“Whatever I’m doing today, it won’t be necessary for anyone to do it tomorrow,” Jaiden said. 

Jaiden’s mom, Melissa R., acknowledged Jaiden’s accomplishments that she achieved very quickly. Jaiden joined Scouting after the pandemic and after only one year of Scouting, she rose to leadership positions and became a Senior Patrol Leader. Because of Scouting, Jaiden’s leadership and public speaking skills have grown significantly.

Yoi S-F. completed his Eagle Board of Review in January 2024, marking the end of an incredible chapter in his Scouting journey. For his Eagle Project, he set out on a goal to memorialize a fellow Scout: a bike rack and repair station at Winston Churchill High School. This project will stand as a lasting memorial to Jacob Cassell, who tragically passed away while biking down Old Georgetown Road at 17 on July 31st, 2019. From advocating for bike lanes at Montgomery County meetings in his early teens to creating a successful fundraiser, Yoi’s dedication to this cause is a testament to his unwavering citizenship and character!

Jacob Brian Cassell, who was born with autism, left an incredible mark on the special-needs community. His service extended beyond borders, from mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Honduras, to his active role in Boy Scout Troop 233. Jacob’s life was a testament to the power of determination and the impact one individual can have on the world.

As a Boy Scout, Jacob earned the rank of Life Scout and completed all of the requirements for Eagle except for his Eagle Scout project, which he had planned for September 2019. His family and his troop later completed his project.

Yoi’s mother showed him the article of a fellow Scout and Churchill student who had been in a tragic accident, and he realized he had also biked on Old Germantown Road with his dad on the same day. That moment is where the inspiration for his Eagle Scout project stemmed from, but Yoi wanted to do something before then. So, at 14 years old, he went to Montgomery County meetings and advocated for the bike lanes along OGR! While the state initiated this bike lane project independently, Yoi’s follow-through is an excellent example of citizenship and character.

Yoi further honored Jacob by dedicating his Eagle Scout project to building a Memorial bike rack and repair station at Winston Churchill High School, the high school they both attended. This would reflect Jacob’s love for riding his bike and the high school since Jacob was the mascot for the Winston Churchill Bulldogs, causing people not to love him because he was the Bulldog but love the Bulldog because he was Jacob Cassell. These reasons solidified Yoi’s decision to make the high school the perfect place for the memorial.

To start his Eagle Project, he went to former Principal Heckert to get approval for the project, but once she left, he had to get approval from Mr. Taylor, who was coincidentally the principal of Yoi’s middle school. After his approval, he was sent to the PTSA to discuss funding. After going back and forth between the PTSA and the school, Yoi created a GoFundMe for his project, reaching the proposed $7,500 goal within 48 hours and ending with $9,333 from over 120 donors. After another back and forth with the county about where the building site would be and waiting for the county to collect bids for the project, the finish line was finally in sight for Yoi.

Yoi found a contractor and vendor for all the materials needed for the project. The contractor poured in the concrete slab necessary to install the bike racks and repair station on October 9th, with the actual bike racks and repair station installed by October 26th. On October 28th, 2023, the repair station was painted purple, Jacob’s favorite color, marking the completion of Yoi’s Eagle Project.

Yoi donated the unspent money from his GoFundMe to the school, which paid for a memorial sign. As requested by Jacob’s father, Jacob’s bike is currently being fully restored and will be donated to a family in need so that someone else may enjoy cycling as much as Jacob did.

As Yoi stated in his GoFundMe, “Jacob Cassell was a shining member of our society. He spread his love and compassion to everyone he met. Jacob was a leader, a friend, and an inspiration to all. Above all, however, he was and forever will be our bulldog.”

Jacob’s legacy will always be remembered at Winston Churchill High School, and Yoi helped to solidify that with his project.

Citation:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/jacob-cassell-memorial-fundraiser
https://jakecassellfund.org/about-jake/
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/jconline/name/jacob-cassell-obituary?id=8980879
https://moco360.media/2020/03/08/remembering-jake/