As an Eagle scout, it is vital to my morals to do good for my community. Aside from accumulating service hours and providing volunteerism to those seeking assistance, I have done many impactful deeds to better the lives of people and animals. While my efforts tend to center around wildlife conservation and educating youth, I have also participated in cleaning up litter in and out of waterways, given time to package meals for the poor and the starving, helped to staff a holiday ceremony in my hometown, and dedicated time to help my fellow BSA members earn their Eagle rank as well. By offering to volunteer at these events, I found myself and was able to grow, mentally expanding my horizons. When not assisting the public, I am working one of three jobs, gaining an education through the University of Wisconsin- Madison, instructing on an archery range, or spending quality time with friends and family. For the past two summers, I have staffed an archery range where I teach scouts how to use a bow and arrow. Besides helping these youth earn merit badges, as a summer camp counselor, it is in my best interest to also dine and play alongside them, demonstrating both leadership and humility. Doing so helps us build stronger connections with those we are teaching and positively influences the next generation as they learn and develop. To my community, this represents my service as an educator, a role model, and one who is assisting the minds and spirits of youth to be prepared for life beyond scouting. Similarly, before my work at camp, I was a junior leader for American Tiger Karate Academy, a Shotokan Karate studio. There, I taught and trained alongside karateka. I was able to work with a wide range of ages, some younger and some older than myself. I was able to pass on my knowledge to those seeking mental wellness, physical strength, and life guidance. Unfortunately, furthering my career in this regard was cut short as the classes ceased meeting in person with the rise of Covid-19, restricting what I and my peers could accomplish. In scouting, for one to earn their Eagle rank, they need to provide a service to their community or larger public by executing a project. For mine, I decided to make bat houses to provide shelter to displaced bats. An organization in Rock River, Illinois graciously accepted my donation and gave me the honor of seeing the houses erected, ecstatic to be a part of wildlife conservation. As bats are an endangered species and a colony was evicted from an attic on-site during construction, it was an enriching experience to be able to provide this help. By speaking for those without voices, these animals can in turn serve our communities by eliminating pests like mosquitoes that carry disease, pollinating our gardens, and providing diversity in the ecosystem. Furthering my education through the university which I attend is another feat entirely, and one that will cost me more than my salary can cover. My goal is to make the world a better place to live, and to do such, I aspire to teach a creative writing course at the collegial level. By giving back and doing something in which I am most passionate, I can truly be satisfied with my efforts. To do so, I must earn my bachelor's degree and go on to earn a master's as well. The crippling weight of the financial burden to be placed on my back is frightening yet inevitable, and I refuse to back down from this, my greatest challenge.

Providing selfless acts of volunteerism to the wider community is a substantial portion of my personality. As an Eagle Scout and a teacher, leading by example is at the forefront of my responsibilities. When not focused on assisting the public, I am working one of three jobs, gaining an education through the University of Wisconsin- Madison, instructing on an archery range, or spending quality time with friends and family. Amidst the community service projects that I have accomplished, it has proven difficult to choose one of which I am most proud. Yet, amidst packaging food for the starving, building outdoor structures for scouts to enjoy, running a food drive, and many more, my undertaking of a wildlife conservation project reflected the most joy upon me as I had engrained into it. To contextualize, for one to earn their Eagle Scout rank among the Boy Scouts, they must lead a service project to benefit others. I happened to decide upon a project consisting of constructing bat houses. After hours of research and strings of communication across multiple counties, I found an organization that was ecstatic to hear of my mission. They graciously accepted my offer to donate five boxes to station on their properties across the United States. This initiated multiple days of construction and planning, my paperwork littered desk serving as a bed on occasion. In the end, I had my finished boxes and started on an assuaging drive to Better Place Forests, marking what I reckoned to be the end of this venture. Come to find, I was pleasantly mistaken. Following these events, I received an email from a woman employed by the Rock River news stations. Unbeknownst to me, the act of volunteerism I bestowed upon this town in rural Illinois became a topic of interest, conservation of biodiversity in the ecosystem holding a great significance in the public eye. Relaying further information about my endeavors, I was taken aback by offers of two television interviews and an online article commemorating my good deed. Delighted, I accepted these proposals, keen to spark another's desire to serve the state similarly. Thus, I covered my story with Good Day Stateline, Ogle County Life, and ABC News. It was an enriching experience to be recognized on an immense scale and exhilarating to know that my words reached thousands. Months down the line, I received Eagle, completing my time as a boy scout in the Troop. I advanced to Crew, continually partaking in service projects initiated by my fellow crew members for them to achieve Eagle as well. My time in scouting helped me to find myself, granting me the necessary tools to excel in life and give back to those who have helped me along this invigorating journey. I was taught that it does not take a great deal of one’s time or money to spread kindness, one of the grandest acts I have ever conducted barely costing me a dime in money, only a couple of months in time. Furthering my education through the university in which I attend is another feat entirely, and one that will cost me more than my salary can cover. My goal is to make the world a better place to live, and to do such, I aspire to teach a creative writing course at the collegial level. By giving back and doing something in which I am most passionate, I can truly be satisfied with my efforts in life. I am to surpass my prominent act of community service in doing such, cultivating future generations to bring enlightenment to those who chase it.