Boy earns Eagle Scout

A Colony High School freshman is flying high after earning the highest rank in Boy Scouts -- the Eagle Scout.

Chris Heiserman is a freshman who carries a 4.0 grade-point average, is a member of the school's cross-country ski team and band, and is interested in science and computers. Still, he has found time to work on his Eagle Scout project and give back to the community.

"Now that I'm getting older, I have more and more homework, but I try to make the time for things I want to do," Heiserman said.

As part of his Eagle Scout project, Heiserman supervised the landscaping of a 30,000-square-foot lawn at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wasilla. The project required the work of 189 volunteers -- who accounted for 3,070 hours -- to complete the landscaping. Heiserman actually started planning his Eagle Scout project when he was 12, two full years before the project's completion.

"I go to church there, and when they were building the church, I thought it would be nice to go to church and see the landscaping that I helped organize," Heiserman said. "I knew that was what I wanted to do for my Eagle Scout project."

Heiserman began scouting as a Tiger Cub in Pack 297 at Cottonwood Creek Elementary School in 1993. He earned the Arrow of Light in February 1998 and then joined Troop 356.

"I've been in Scouts since I was in first grade," Heiserman said.

In Boy Scouts, Heiserman advanced quickly, earning 32 merit badges and countless leadership training during three-and-a-half years in Troop 356.

Heiserman said the project wouldn't have been successful without the help of many people. He said he wanted to thank "Father Stan" for his confidence, his family and church family for the many hours of hard work, Troop 356, United Rentals for donating their dump truck, Little Susitna Hydroseeding for their donation and work, and Scott Gunnell, Mike Schachle and Bill Smith for their donation of their equipment and time.

The actual project involved three steps, Heiserman explained.

"First we had to remove all the rocks around the area, and then we put the soil on it. We had to strain the soil, using rakes, before we did anything else. Then we hydroseeded the entire lawn," Heiserman said.

As a freshman at Colony High School, Heiserman is being introduced to the world of final exams. He was awarded his Eagle Scout rank last November, so he doesn't have to worry about that interfering with study time. Still, with skiing and band, the pressure is on to find time.

"I've got a 4.0 grade-point average right now, and I want to keep it there in high school," Heiserman said. "I've got to study hard for those finals."