Brandon teen nears Eagle Scout rank with service project at Faith United

When Sawyer Hinderks was a first-grader, his parents asked if he’d like to give Scouts a try.

His response was simple.

“I thought, ‘You know what? Why not? Let’s try something new,’” he recalled.

Nearly a decade later, that one decision has led the 16-year-old toward Scouting’s highest achievement.

As part of the final steps to earning the rank of Eagle Scout, Hinderks recently completed a service project at Faith United in Brandon, the church he attends and where Troop 212 meets. Seeing that the roof over the church’s waste and recycling enclosure had collapsed, he decided it was a project worth tackling.

“The church that I go to and the church that my troop meets at had this trash bin enclosure, but the roof had fallen down, so all the trash bins were just out in the open, getting soggy and everything,” Hinderks said. “So, I put a new roof on that thing, a very sturdy roof– way sturdier than the previous one.”

While there were several possible Eagle Scout-worthy projects around the church, Hinderks said he felt this was the the right project for him.

“There were a couple other ones around the church that I could have done, but I think this one just seemed the most fitting,” he said.

An Eagle Scout project is about more than construction. It also requires planning, organization and leadership. Hinderks enlisted the help of two of is fellow Scouts from Troop 212, and one of those Scouts invited another friend to lend a hand.

“It was a cool way to see the community help my friends build and stuff,” he said.

Brandon Lumber Company donated the materials needed for the project after Hinderks reached out for support.

“They’re really generous. They help out a lot,” he said.

Since the structure was improved, the congregation has taken notice.

“They’re quite appreciative,” Hinderks said. “A few different people reached out to me saying ‘thank you.’”

Although building the roof required hard work, Hinderks said the toughest part of the project happened long before the first board was nailed down.

“I guess just finding the time to sit down and plan this thing out, and basically take the first step of the project,” he said.

The experience reinforced one lesson he’ll long remember now that the project is complete.

“I think the biggest thing would be if you want to get something done, reach out to people, and they’ll be quite eager to help you, more so than one would usually expect,” he said.

That perspective has been shaped by years in Scouting.

Now preparing for his junior year of high school, Hinderks has remained involved since joining Cub Scouts in first grade. What started as trying something new has become an important part of his life.

“I like not only the values that it teaches, but also the skills,” he said. “There are a lot of good things that it teaches you. Sometimes through classes, like merit badge classes, and sometimes just through general experiences.”

As a homeschooled student, Hinderks said the flexibility in his schedule has allowed him to put many of those lessons into practice.

“I’ve got a lot more time to apply some of the skills that scouting teaches, so I think they really go hand in hand,” he said.

Among the dozens of merit badges he’s earned, engineering stands out as one of his favorites.

“I’ve always been interested in engineering,” he said. “It kind of gave me a broad, general idea of engineering, but then it lets you deep dive into what interested me.”

That experience has helped shape his future plans, as he hopes to pursue a career involving engineering. He also appreciates how each merit badge introduces Scouts to careers they may never have considered.

“Nearly every badge has a requirement at the end where you take a look into three careers that you might want to pursue within each field that the badges offer,” he said. “Then you pick one and kind of do a deep dive into it.”

Although his Eagle Scout project is complete, Hinderks still has a few loose ends to tie up before officially earning the rank. Once he does, he plans to remain active in Troop 212 until he ages out at 18.

“I hope to stick around for a little while,” he said. “And I hope I can set an example for some of the younger boys.”

For Hinderks, becoming an Eagle Scout isn’t simply the completion of one project. It’s the culmination of nearly 10 years spent learning, serving and growing.

“It’s been a long time in the making,” he said. “I’ve been looking forward to it since first grade. So yeah, that’s a big sense of long-term accomplishment.”