Megan M. was introduced to Scouting by her younger Cub Scout brothers. She first joined BSA as a Venturer, then, on February 1, 2019, joined Scouts BSA Troop 164 and rose to Star within eight months. Now, after an additional year of work, her Eagle Project is finally completed.
On the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the Arlington Fire Department received a steel beam from the Twin Towers to recognize their role as the first responders to the Pentagon. Lacking a support structure, however, the piece simply rested on the grass for a decade. To commemorate the 20th anniversary and honor the Fire Department, and inspired by her own father‘s 9/11 experiences, Megan decided to overhaul the monument, fashioning wooden supports to hold the steel beam and placing railroad beams around it in the shape of the Pentagon, with lights at each corner so the monument could be visible at night. After some final on-site adjustments, the monument has since become a community hotspot.
Megan fondly recalls people stopping on the street to watch them work. “Not many people visit the fire station, but the project drew a lot of interest.” It was this desire to celebrate community that motivated Megan to begin her journey towards Eagle and she hopes the monument will continue to draw crowds for years to come.
Today, Megan is studying to be a nurse at George Mason University and remains active in Scouting. She hopes to apply to her future occupation the skills learned through Scouting, particularly Lifesaving (her favorite merit badge) and Wilderness Survival. After all, “if I can save someone outside of the hospital, I’m prepared for anything.”
Speaking to all Scouts, Megan emphasizes the role of community: “Make sure you have a tight bond with your patrol mates. They’ll be more likely to come to talk with you if there’s a problem if they feel they have a strong relationship. No one is an island, and all Scouts can rely upon their fellows to assist and motivate them in any way.”
Megan also encourages young women to consider joining Scouting. “At first, I was like ‘uh this is all Boy Scouts,’ and I was concerned it would all be mud and roughhousing, but really it’s so much more.”
