Dominican freshman soars with the Eagles
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St. Mary’s Dominican freshman Sophia Salvaggio recently earned the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), the Eagle Scout rank, as a member of Troop 117 in Metairie.
To attain this prestigious honor, Salvaggio estimated that she spent 200 hours total working toward becoming an Eagle Scout.
Several hours were dedicated to planning and completing a project that was near and dear to her heart: Collaborating with Zeus’ Rescues on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans to find forever homes for animals pulled from high-kill shelters.
“I actually got my dog from this rescue, and the place has always been special to me,” Salvaggio said. “When the time came for me to plan my Eagle Scout project, I knew this was just the kind of place I wanted to help in any way I could.”
Volunteering for a cause
Salvaggio wanted to spend her volunteer time sprucing up the entrance of the rescue facility to make it look more inviting and enticing to prospective animal parents. So, she gathered a team of 10 people, including scouts from her troop and family members, cleaned up the entrance, fixed the fence and the rain gutter pockets and spruced up the building’s general landscaping.
“It wasn't a massive job, but it was something that definitely helped the aesthetics of the place,” Salvaggio said. “It looked a lot brighter and freshened up. We were even able to power wash some of the bricks on the front building and mow the grass. It was a small project, but I think it made a pretty good impact.”
Girls can be Eagle Scouts
According to the Scouting America website, girls have been part of the Boy Scouts of America Venturing and Exploring programs since 1969. Cub Scouting welcomed girls in 2018 and Boy Scouts in 2019, making it possible for them to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
Advancement requirements for all scouting ranks are identical for boys and girls. Since the BSA welcomed young girls into the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs, more than 361,000 female participants have joined, currently representing nearly 16% of total membership.
As of June 2023, more than 5,000 girls have earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program. Since its inception in 1911, only 4% of scouts have earned the rank, which also requires a lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2.5 million youth.
“I was a Girl Scout at St. Clement from pre-K to second grade, and my brother was a Cub Scout,” Salvaggio said. “In 2019, when they started letting girls join, I decided to make the change. I am the fourth girl in my troop to earn the Eagle Scout rank.”
Salvaggio said the biggest thing about the Eagle Scout project is getting it approved by the troop chair.
“You have to really think about what you want to accomplish with the project and follow the specific guidelines,” she said. “I am glad mine was approved and I was able, in a small way, to help the dogs at Zeus’ hopefully get adopted quicker.”