Recipients include first female Eagle Scout selected from nearly 60 local Scout applicants who achieved the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America in 2021
PORTLAND, Ore., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cascade Pacific Council (CPC) of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has chosen ten high school seniors to receive college scholarships for their leadership and service to their community.
The scholarships are given to students who have attained Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. Each Scout was chosen for their volunteerism, leadership and positive impact they've had on other youth and their community. This year's recipients also included the area's first female winner, Ellie Steward of Troop 5479, following the addition of girls into the program in 2019.
Each Scout showed incredible grit and perseverance to attain the program's renowned rank during the COVID-19 pandemic including a large-scale project to serve another organization within their community. Nine Eagle Scouts received $2,000 scholarships. One Scout, Shudhant Gautam, won the top scholarship of $4,500. Below is more about each recipient, their project and Scouting's impact on their lives.
Watch video highlights from each Scout's personal journey of adventure, grit and personal growth at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCuOcrvLc4Q (Separate clips available upon request. Headshots can be downloaded at https://cpcbsa.org/council/news/2022-eagle-scout-scholarship-winners/ )
Ellie Stewart of Troop 5479 in Vancouver, WA
"Through my time in scouting, I have grown in all aspects of the Aims of Scouting. I have grown as a leader, become a person that I am proud of, become physically and mentally strong, and developed my love of giving back to the community."
High School: Vancouver iTech Preparatory
Eagle Scout Project: Native American inspired mural on highway sound wall.
Shudhant Gautam of Troop 208 in Portland, OR
Top $4,500 Scholarship Recipient
"A Scout is Brave. My biggest fear for the first 14 years of my life was the deep end of pools. I would never pass the swim tests at summer camp and I finally decided to face my fear in the third year of my Scouting journey. I still remember the feeling as I climbed out of the lake at Camp Baldwin and heard the lifeguard shout, "We have a swimmer!"
High School: Sunset
Eagle Scout Project: Building and installation of cedar benches benefitting Cross Country and Track & Field teams at Sunset High School.
Benz Brawley of Troop 320 in Vancouver, WA
"Scouting was a safe place for me to be myself and to escape the bullying and negative thoughts and to forget about my speech diagnoses each week. I was able to practice my speech at Scouts, as well as greatly improve my social skills."
High School: Hudson's Bay
Eagle Scout Project: Enhancements benefitting Chapel Hill Cat Sanctuary.
Wolf Cribbs of Troop 141 in Happy Valley, OR
"Scouting repeatedly taught me to show respect to women, my peers and many different kinds of people. The respect I have learned to show others will help me to become a loyal husband and a loving father when that time comes in my life."
High School: Clackamas
Eagle Scout Project: Park loop trail repairs benefitting Mt Talbert Park.
Benjamin Flores of Troop 618 in Beaverton, OR
"[Scouting] challenged the me that was shy and it has helped me grow into a young adult that is always seeking to help others. I learned that being an eagle scout is not only a recognition for what I have done, but what I am expected to do in the future."
High School: Early College
Eagle Scout Project: Building a storage shed to benefit multiple organizations connected with Cedar Hills Baptist Church.
Evan Jackson of Troop 7150 in Salem, OR
"I can remember every single hour of the twenty-five hundred hours of service that I have given to my community and see now that every drip of sweat and the pain of strenuous work developed my mentality that anything worthwhile is worth working for and that nothing substantial is every achieved easily."
High School: West Salem
Eagle Scout Project: Constructed outdoor enclosure for cats benefitting the Willamette Humane Society.
Mason Lewallen of Troop 530 in Tualatin, OR
"The list of occupations I would like to have is broad, but they a have at least two things in common: one is that I have been inspired to achieve them by the things I have learned in Scouts. The second is that those jobs require a good leader to fill them."
High School: Tualatin & Portland Community College
Eagle Scout Project: Creation and installation of pavers for the school teaching garden at Byron Elementary School.
Cameron Lewis of Troop 606 in Gresham, OR
"Scouting has taught me the importance of working hard to succeed, and the joy of working in service of others. I felt confident enough to join the student body as class president for 4 years in a row because of my experience as a leader in Scouts."
High School: Columbia Christian
Eagle Scout Project: Constructed picnic tables benefitting Columbia Christian Middle School.
Jacob McClelland of Troop 132 in Wilsonville, OR
"Each [trail] has its fair share of laughs, perils, and rewards. Yet, the best trail I've finished so far has been a journey of personal growth, not physical travel. My trail to Eagle Rank instilled habits necessary for success, a desire to serve my community, and an enduring determination."
High School: Wilsonville
Eagle Scout Project: Constructing a wheelchair accessible garden as an add on to the nature center benefitting West Linn-Wilsonville SD.
Kyle Rabe of Troop 855 in Hillsboro, OR
"I completed all of the religious emblem programs offered through the National Catholic Committee on Scouting: Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei, Ad Altare Dei, and Pope Pius XII. Each of these emblems has provided me additional ways to be active in my faith and further explore what it means for me to be a Catholic."
High School: Liberty
Eagle Scout Project: Built an "outdoor classroom" benefitting St. Matthew Garden in Hillsboro, OR.
About the Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America
Cascade Pacific Council, BSA (CPC) guides more than 7,000 girls and boys in 19 counties of NW Oregon and SW Washington. We offer an unparalleled program that teaches leadership and citizenship through fun and exciting adventures for the whole family. We invite all people to get involved in Scouting and are committed to creating a positive, safe, and welcoming environment for all, valuing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that will grow and strengthen our movement and continue to make us a valued contributor to the communities we serve. Find out more at https://cpcbsa.org
About the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) provides the nation's foremost youth programs of character development and values-based leadership training, which help young people be "Prepared. For Life.®" The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.Scouting.org.
Contact: Chris Bartell, Director of Marketing & Communications
[email protected] cell: (971)337-5922
SOURCE Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America
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