Few paths are as lengthy or formidable as the one followed by young Boy Scouts who hope to attain the highest achievement offered by the scouting world: the rank of Eagle Scout. Indeed, the organization itself estimates that out of all participants who initially enter the program, fewer than seven percent will go on to wear the silver-winged medal. However, despite the challenges involved, two Edina High School students, Alex Conrad and Anders Carlson, are determined to achieve this distinction.

The Eagle Scout rank has long been considered a reputable indicator of character and leadership ability. And that’s no surprise, considering that prospective Eagle Scouts must first advance through a series of lower ranks, serve in a leadership position for an extended period of time, complete at least 21 merit badges in a variety of interest areas, and conduct a capstone service-learning project that involves a minimum of 100 hours of direct involvement, in order to simply be considered for advancement to the position.

As a result, sophomore Anders Carlson finds balancing Eagle Scout activities with the rest of his life to be one of the most difficult aspects of the program. “It’s just very hard because most Boy Scouts are involved in so many other things,” Carlson said. He also noted that the limited time frame – Boy Scouts must complete their Eagle Scout requirements before turning eighteen – can also pose a problem. “[Many] just don’t think about it until it’s too late. In fact, I know somebody who finished his Eagle requirements twelve hours before he turned eighteen. … You just get lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that you’re fifteen and eighteen is a long ways off,” said Carlson.

And there’s the service project, of course. For Carlson, the spark for his project stemmed from one of his great passions: nordic skiing. “I’m on the Nordic Team. And there are trails below the high school that need to be maintained every year. [The team leaders] always ask us to come in and help out. And I’d like to do more for them, so my Plan A would involve maintaining [those] trails, planting trees, and the like,” said Carlson. Other Eagle Scouts have built classrooms, organized food drives, and restored historical sites, contributing over three million hours of service annually.

But despite the sheer volume of work involved, both consider the project to be well worth the effort. “Having the Eagle Scout rank on your resume or college application is really something that stands out because it shows that you have a lot of dedication for something and [that] if you have a goal, you really go for it,” said sophomore Alex Conrad.

Additionally, the Eagle Scout program offers opportunities beyond merit badges and volunteer work. The two sophomores cite the close bonds that have developed within their troops as one of the primary highlights of the experience. “It’s really the sense of camaraderie that everyone gets into,” said Carlson.

If they achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, Conrad and Carlson will join notables such as Bill Gates, Neil Armstrong, and Gerald R. Ford in being the select few to ever attain such a distinguished award. As Conrad notes, “This is definitely [an experience] that has changed me as a person.”