Prompt: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
Albert Einstein said, "The only source of knowledge is experience." The experience from which I gained knowledge about growing up was through my eagle project. For six years I learned right from wrong, to say please and thank you, and to always to be morally straight. Through my years of practicing the scout law, doing good deeds daily, and always obeying the scout oath; I have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. This day marked a new beginning in my life; I realized that I did not just earn the rank of Eagle Scout; rather I became an Eagle Scout. It is who I am in society; I lead my peers by examples and represent a great deal of leadership and responsibility.
In my eagle project; I collected tattered flags from the community and retired them with dignity at our local Veterans of Foreign War's station. This process of proposing the outline of my project, stating the benefit to the community, being interviewed by local radio stations, and then pitching my project to an executive board helped me to mature. I passed the torch of my adolescence to my adulthood. People relied on me for directions and I was respected by elite figures, such as veterans and city council members. I knew I was not simply organizing an event or party, I was providing a service to our nation because retiring flags is an American tradition that should be practiced with honor. Veterans approached me, not my parents but me. I wasn't just "The Sandridge Kid" anymore. I was spoken to as an adult who can provide a service. Men who fought for our country thanked me! I didn't have to fly across the world to prove my growth as an adult; I simply acted upon my own instinct. It was an epiphany; I realized at that moment that I am in full control of my future. These grown men recognized the passion I had for doing the right thing, and the maturity it took to do this service with dignity. Does this mean I am going to be an event coordinator? Not necessarily. This project changed my mentality: I can provide service, I can perform a good deed, and I can make adult decisions that will benefit our society.
Childhood was carefree and peaceful, but what's intriguing about adulthood is how our actions define how we conduct ourselves and the people around us. My transition from childhood to adulthood integrated with my culture, community and my family. My Hispanic background nurtured me to become independent and self-driven because knowledge is useless without application. The community provided opportunities for me to contribute my skills to others, and my family is the reason I want to succeed and become the man they brought into this world.
I am thankful for the Boy Scout program; it gave me the opportunity to become a well rounded individual. Now my life goal is to be a humble leader. My family has endowed me with morals and proper fundamentals to relinquish my childish behavior and live up to my expectations. This accomplishment sets my own expectation, not settling to be average or mediocre, but to exemplify myself in civilization. Because of my experiences in completing my Eagle Scout project, I now live my life with this outlook: to strive for excellence and always to give my best effort in whatever I do.
