At Joe Melillo’s Eagle Scout ceremony: (left to right) Senator James Skoufis, Joe Melillo, Tim Murphy, Ed Long
Joe Melillo at the Woodbury Animal Shelter sitting in his completed project.
Joe Melillo at his Eagle Scout ceremony
Developing leadership and sensitivity to others’ needs were among the gains Joe Melillo attributed to his efforts on the way to the Eagle Scout rank he celebrated on March 20, after achieving it last November.
Melillo, a senior at Monroe-Woodbury High School, said that on his way to those gains with Boy Scouts of America, he served as senior patrol leader—the highest leadership position a Scout can hold in his troop. That means, being “basically in charge of running all the meetings,” he said.
When it came time to complete the Eagle Scout Service Project, Melillo channeled his fondness for furry friends into a structure at the Woodbury Animal Shelter “for very rainy or sunny weather.”
“I love animals,” he said. “So I asked the shelter staff, ‘What do you need to have done?’ I made it a little bit bigger than they had originally asked for. The actual construction took about six weeks, I would say.”
Melillo’s involvement in community service has not been limited to his Service Project. He is a “buddy” at the VIP Program, which provides children with special needs with the opportunity to play soccer and basketball.
Additionally, Melillo is a member of the varsity soccer and ski teams, National Honor Society, and Spanish National Honor Society at Monroe-Woodbury High School.
When asked to reflect on his time with the Scouts, Joe offered this perspective: “I would definitely do it all over again. You get a lot of life skills from doing all the requirements. For example, I actually had to go to the town board to present my project. I’m not sure I would have done that if it wasn’t for scouting.”
As for future plans, Joe is about to decide where he will spend the next four years. “I’m not 100% sure where I’ll go,” he says. “At the top of my list, I have Binghamton [and] Fordham.” Wherever Joe lands, he says he will maintain his commitment to community service and use the skills he developed during his time with the Scouts.