Boy Scouts have until they’re 18 to become Eagle Scouts, but Julia Haile of Burke, Virginia has done it at just 12.
It comes about five years after Boy Scouts of America started letting in girls.
“When I was working on my eagle project, I basically spent 24/7 on my Eagle project stuff,” Julia said.
All those long hours have certainly paid off. Julia says she knew early on she wanted to join Boy Scouts with her brother.
“There’s like more camping stuff, and it’s more adventurous in a way,” she said. “I think it’ll prove that girls can do scouting too, and they can be good at it just like the boys can.”
At just 12 years old, she earned enough badges to become an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts of America.
“It feels great,” Julia said. “I’m very honored to be an eagle scout this young. When I first joined scouting, I never thought I would be where I am today, so I’m very proud of myself.”
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Her Eagle Scout project involved fixing up benches at a local church.
At times, things have been tough. Julia used to be in a different troop and says some members were less than welcoming.
“Some people were just kind of putting me down, but I got through it,” she said.
“It’s really hard as a parent to not just step in immediately and try to resolve something yourself, and so part of the process was helping her empower herself to work through the issues and help her find a good resolution,” said Kenneth Haile, Julia’s dad.
Julia says now that she's an Eagle Scout, she looks forward to helping the next generation.
“I just want to set an example for younger scouts, too, to show them where I am today and what they can do,” she said.
Julia is celebrating her 13th birthday on Thursday. She and her brother will have their Eagle Scout ceremony together on Friday.
Boy Scouts of America will be changing its name to Scouting America next February in an effort to be more inclusive.
