Peters Township teen attains rank of Eagle Scout at 15
Photos: Courtesy of Stephen Simko
Jacob Simko with the finished security planters in front of Crossroads Church of Christ.
Photos: Courtesy of Stephen Simko
Jacob Simko fills one of the planters. The planters are concealing bollards filled with cement.
Courtesy of Stephen Simko
The first step in the process was to dig holes for the bollards.
Courtesy of Stephen Simko
Jacob Simko achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 15.
Most Scouts will not earn the title of Eagle Scout until they turn 18, but Jacob Simko is ahead of the pack.
Simko, 15, who attends Peters Township High School, is a member of Boy Scout Troop 1320. He has earned more than 20 merit badges, and has held the positions of scribe, patrol leader, troop guide and troop instructor. He completed his Eagle Scout project in August 2021.
For Simko, his older brother Nick was a major source of inspiration in deciding to go for Eagle Scout at a younger age than usual.
“He was Eagle Scout even before I was. He was a younger age when he got his, and I was really inspired by that,” Jacob Simko said, adding that Nick was 13 when he achieved the distinction.
For his project, Jacob Simko constructed a subtle security measure for Crossroads Church of Christ on Thomas Road.
Simko explained that with input from Peters Township police, the church had been in the process of revamping its security.
“The last thing that they had was to create a blockade in front of the church. This is because the police were a little scared that somebody might drive the car into the front of the church. So they wanted some bollards up there,” Simko said.
The construction took place on two weekend days in August. Simko and his crew dug out holes for three hollowed-out bollards, and then filled the bollards with cement, though that may not be apparent on first glance.
“I covered the bollards with cement blocks and made them look like planters, so people wouldn’t know,” Simko said. “Now they’re really solid, and nothing is getting through those. I would know. They were really heavy.”
The process to get to the construction was “long and grueling,” Simko said. He put together a proposal for the project, and also a plan that laid out the budget, needed materials, and safety concerns.
As Simko had to direct the construction, he said the project provided him with valuable leadership skills.
“I know this is cliché and it was only two days, but I still learned how to be a leader. Because at first I wasn’t taking as much initiative, and the kids weren’t getting as much done … But by the end of it, I had everybody working at the same time,” Simko said.
Simko also plays the trumpet in the Peters Township Marching Band. After high school, he hopes to someday become a mechanical engineer.
For now, Simko said attaining the rank of Eagle Scout has lifted a weight off his shoulders. Stephen Simko, Jake’s dad, is proud of what his son has accomplished and hopes it will open doors for him in the future.
“Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout is truly one of the most challenging things a young man can accomplish. The benefits that come along with that achievement will last a lifetime, because the rank is so well-respected by a lot of leaders out there,” Stephen Simko said.
Simko was impressed with his son’s dedication to the project, and his ability to step into a leadership role.
“Going through the entire project, I will say that he knew this project inside and out. He knew where every penny was going. He knew the details of the design,” he said. “The challenge comes from a 15-year-old trying to tell a 14-year-old, or even somebody older, what to do.”
Jacob Simko extended credit to the adults in his troop and his fellow Scouts for helping reach his goal.
“I couldn’t have done it all by myself, obviously. I had a lot of help from others, and it was really nice to have so many people at back and supporting me,” he said.