Eagle Scout ceremony takes place at last

I didn’t expect to learn half of what I learned by the time I finished.”

Jordan T. Figueroa, Eagle Scout

Jorda Figueroa went above and beyond.

The journey from Cub Scout to Eagle Scout requires that the candidate earn a total of 21 merit badges. Jordan earned 34: First Aid, Emergency Preparedness, Communication, Environmental Science, Personal Management, Family LIfe, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Rifle Shooting, Art, Geology, Chemistry, Robotics, Inventing, Fingerprinting, Movie Making, Dentistry, Space Exploration, Wood Carving, Fishing, Animation, Pets, Cooking, Dentistry, Traffic Safety, Orienteering, Engineering, Swimming, Plumbing, Automotive Maintenance, Signs Signals and Codes, Pioneering, and Game Design.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan Figueroa reached the crowning achievement of membership in the Boy Scouts of America -- the rank of Eagle Scout -- on August 10, 2020. But pandemic closures delayed his Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony until August 7, 2021.

According to the Boy Scouts of America Troop Program Resources website, the Court of Honor “should be an event that will long be remembered fondly by the young man being honored.”

So it was for Jordan, a member of Troop 182, which meets on Thursdays during the school year in Baldwin. On August 7, his leaders were there for him: Scoutmaster Ken Arnold, Assistant Scoutmaster René Cancél, and Assistant Scoutmaster and Master of Ceremonies Tom Faulding. Jordan’s lifelong pastor, Phil Prestamo of Cornerstone Church, delivered the opening prayer. Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray commended Jordan, and Village Trustee Evette Sanchez bestowed on him the Mayor’s Citation Award. Eagle Scouts Nicholas Quintanilla and Jaden Campbell officiated the Opening Flag and the Eagle Scout Oath. Scoutmaster Arnold presented Jordan his Eagle Badge. Jordan presented Scoutmaster Cancél the mentor pin, and then formally presented his parents, José Figueroa and Anna Ellis. Jordan’s brother Jonovan, also a Scout, joined other members of Troop 182 in the Candle Lighting, the Call of the Ranks, and the Closing Ceremony.

The ceremony not only celebrated Jordan’s 34 merit badges, but an Eagle project that combined his hard-earned skills with a cause he cared about: his church youth group. The Figueroa family joined Cornerstone Church just before Jordan was born.

“They first came to church shortly after 9/11,” said Prestamo. “Anna was working in lower Manhattan and it was a very traumatic experience for her. She was also pregnant with Jordan, so we have seen his whole life unfold.”

Jordan grew up attending the youth group every Friday evening.

“I renovated the youth lounge downstairs in the church basement,” said Jordan. “I took out the furniture, put spackle on the walls, cleaned up the wall mold, primed the walls, and painted them light gray. The room is about 40 feet by 30 feet.”

The word “I” in his summation of the project became “we” as Jordan explained his project in more detail.

“Part of the project was seeking donations from sponsors,” he said. “Home Depot contributed. The paint and primer came from the Atlantic Avenue Hardware Store. We already had all the tools we needed at home.”

The “we” included 18 volunteers in addition to Jordan. According to his impressively thorough project logbook, they consisted of 10 youth who were registered Boy Scouts of America members, 2 BSA leaders, 2 other youth, and 4 non-BSA adults. Once Jordan had gathered all the materials, the group put in a total of 53 work-hours across two days to complete the renovation.

“It was amazing to see the fruits of his efforts,” said his mother, Anna Ellis.

“I was really blessed that Jordan chose to fix up the youth lounge at the church,” said Pastor Prestamo. “He spent a lot of time there through his high school years and it seemed to me that he wanted to make sure the room was there and in good shape for those who would come after him.”

Reflecting on his experiences in Boy Scouts, Jordan said, “I learned how to work in a group and how to cooperate with others. I learned survival skills in case I end up in a dangerous situation. I also learned different subjects through merit badges, like chemistry and robotics. It’s just a very wide range of topics that you learn.”

The discipline, character training, and cognitive skills imparted by his Scout work provided Jordan inspiration for the next phase of his life. He will attend the University of Connecticut starting August 28. His major will be digital media and design for business strategies.

“Originally I was planning to go into biomedical engineering,” Jordan said, but then realized how much he loved to draw and do other things artistically, like playing the piano.

“[I remember Jordan] doing a drawing that we used for the bulletin cover on Christmas Eve one year,” Pastor Prestamo said. “He has been playing the piano for many years and two or three years ago joined the worship team.”

Nowadays, said Jordan, “I use professional grade colors of pencil and markers, and recently I have done digital artwork.” The major that he chose combines business with art.

“Scouting is definitely a big part of my life because it taught me independence and it showed me how to be a confident leader,” Jordan said. “I didn’t expect to learn half of what I learned by the time I finished.”