Jared Vanderburg was recognized by Wylie Mayor Matthew Porter on Monday, May 14 for earning the highest ranking a Boy Scout can achieve. Courtesy City of Wylie

The playground at Firefighters Park got bench refresh and a Little Free Library following the completion of an Eagle Scout project by a local teen. 

Jared Vanderburg of Wylie has earned the Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank achievable by the Boy Scouts of America. He earned the distinction, which only 6% of Boy Scouts have, by overseeing the project that involved repairing the benches and installing a little free library at the park. 

Now a sophomore at Wylie High School, Jared first joined the Boy Scouts in third grade. 

“It sounded like fun,” Jared said. “Just the opportunities to go camping and help out the community.”

Over the course of his Scouting career, Jared has invested 136 volunteer hours and earned 32 merit badges. The service project at Firefighters Park was the final piece needed to earn his Eagle Scout badge. Jared demonstrated his leadership skills by using what he learned as a Boy Scout to oversee others.

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