Rylee Nasrey Earns Eagle Scout Rank After 11 Years
The Clawson High School senior completed 21 merit badges and built two food pantries to reach the organization's highest rank.
By Sakura Ellis ·
Rylee Nasrey, 18, received the rank of Eagle Scout from Troop 1615 on Oct. 13. The award marks the highest level of recognition in Scouting America, the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts.
Nasrey has been a member of the troop since age 7. He joined initially because his friends were participating, but he remained in the program as they moved on. He described the decision to stay as a commitment to the responsibility of representing his troop and peers.
"It shows something I didn’t think I was able to achieve. Shows that I am capable," Nasrey said.
To earn the rank, Nasrey completed 21 merit badges and led a community service project. For that project, he constructed two food pantries. One was built for a local church, and the other was a personal pantry for a woman associated with the church.
Jeff Toenniges, the scoutmaster for Troop 1615, noted that Nasrey has been with the group for more than a decade. Toenniges said that most scouts join at ages 10 or 11 with high energy levels and heavy parental involvement. By the time they reach the Eagle Scout level, members are autonomous and lead their peers.
"We see these kids join us at 10 or 11 years old, and they’re quite different people," Toenniges said. "And so when someone like Rylee gets to this point, he is autonomous. He’s leading himself."
Ed Nasrey, the Eagle Scout’s grandfather, was one of five people who wrote letters advocating for his grandson's recognition. Ed Nasrey expressed his pride in the accomplishment during the review process.
"I wrote a letter in his regards. And the bottom line was … I’m not sure how long I’m going to be on this earth, but I’m going to be very proud that I left behind an Eagle Scout that shares my last name. He’s just a good kid," Ed Nasrey said.
