Levi Thompson, a senior at Cumberland Gap High School, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout through the Boy Scouts of America. (Photo submitted)

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Cumberland Gap senior Levi Thompson has achieved scouting’s highest rank, earning the Eagle Scout award through the Boy Scouts of America Troop #508.

Since 1912 the Boy Scouts say just over 2 million scouts have earned the Eagle Scout rank. “Eagle Scouts exemplify the virtues of service, leadership, and duty to God, using their training and influence to better their communities and and the world,” the organization says.

Levi is the son of Andrew and Trena Thompson. Andrew is a local scoutmaster and has been a big influence on Levi becoming a scout — he started in Boy Scouts when he was six years old.

“There have been a lot of people who have done it before. Not everybody makes it to Eagle,” Levi said. “I would definitely say my dad was my biggest influence as far as that goes. He really had to push for it for me. It’s something he still has great memories about and now I have made plenty of my own.”

A big part of becoming an Eagle Scout is completing a community service project before turning 18. Thompson said the hardest part was figuring out what his project was going to be.

“That project is the big finale. That’s how you end it, by doing some sort of project that helps the community,” he said. “In our area there are definitely options — sometimes people want things that are a little bit more than you’re capable of and sometimes things are a little underwhelming. So it’s hard to find that perfect project, something that you feel is justified for your cause.”

After checking into several potential projects, he found doing landscaping and some renovations at the Claiborne County Animal Shelter was the right fit.

He did the landscaping in front of the building, repainted 18 outside kennels and built an extension off the back of the building to house a wood shed.

“The whole back part of the building was run off of a furnace and where they were keeping their firewood was out past the yard and they would have to walk through the grass and it got muddy in the winter,” Thompson said. “By extending it out from the building, they are able to just walk under a covered area beside the building and get their firewood.”

Completing that project took over 146 man hours and was a culmination of 12 years of work and achievement in scouting. A total of 21 merit badges are needed to become an Eagle Scout. By the time Thompson is finished, he will have earned 65 badges.

“You have to go through all the ranks and complete specific merit badges — they go from citizenship in the society to geocashing, there’s just so many different things. You also have to have camping nights and service hours. It can be a time-consuming process,” he said.

Thompson will be graduating this month from Cumberland Gap and plans to go into the environmental science field.

“I’m really into paleontology and geology, those are my biggest hobbies. More realistically I’m looking at going into some sort of environmental science. I’m planning to go to Walters State to get my prerequisites, then I’ll see what my degree options are and where I’ll go to finish school,” he said.

Thompson also said staying involved with Boy Scouts could be in his future.

“Right now, since I’ve already got my Eagle Scout, I’m kind of in between. I can’t be a full adult leader yet because I’m not 18 yet, but I’m still there when people need me,” he said. “Once I turn 18 I would like to be an adult leader. Depending on how college goes and how my life starts after that will determine how involved I am with it. However, if they need someone to go on a campout or a backpacking trip I would still like to do that.”

He’s currently the junior assistant scoutmaster and could become a scoutmaster down the road.

“It depends on what the program looks like in the future. Maybe when I have kids or something, it really depends on where I’m living and a lot of things, but yeah I would like to still be involved.”

Thompson will be honored with an Eagle Scout Court of Honor on Friday, May 30 at 6 p.m. at Pump Springs Baptist Church.