By Marin Murray.
Sure, a medal is nice. However, the notion of leaving a lasting impact on the lives of people he may never get the chance to meet is something that is of so much more value to Carlo.
On Nov. 6, senior Carlo Villamor earned the rank of Eagle Scout after five years in the Boy Scouts of America program and completing a service project that gave supplies to orphans in Naga, Philippines.
“I really just wanted to show that I was a helping hand to other people around the world,” Carlo said. “That’s kind of why I did it.”
Carlo’s service project to earn the rank of Eagle Scout involved collecting items, packaging them and then shipping them to an orphanage in Naga. He also had to earn at least 21 merit badges demonstrating his mastery of skills like citizenship, communications and family relations, in order to attain the prestigious rank.
“It kind of reminds other people what it means to be a Scout,” Carlo said. “It’s not only being a good citizen to your community or your nation, but actually it’s being a good citizen to everyone around the world as a whole.”
The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest achievement possible within the Boy Scouts program. By attaining this award, Carlo is among the four percent of Scouts that have earned it since its inception in 1911.
“My favorite part of being a Boy Scout is probably the skills that you learn, the places you go and the friendships you get along the way,” Carlo said.
Next year, Carlo hopes to attend the United States Military Academy – West Point and plans on studying either strategic defense or world history. One of the main reasons he joined Boy Scouts was to help him get in there, however, the lessons he has learned through this program will serve him throughout his whole life.
“The lessons Boy Scouts has given me are, of course, camping and other outdoor skills,” Carlo said. “But it has also taught me how to really persevere through hardships.”
The five-year process that it took to earn this award may have seemed difficult in the moment to Carlo, who began participating in this program in seventh grade, but what he has accomplished in this short timespan has already begun to pay off.
“I do feel like it was really relieving, really,” Carlo said. “Not that it was over, but it feels like I did something that was actually worthwhile in my life.”
