Eastern NC Eagle Scout Recognized by President Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Alphonso Hill Jr., a sophomore at Swansboro High School, and resident of Onslow County, had quite the experience last week — on his first ever trip to our nations capital, Alphonso got a tour of the White House and was honored by the president himself.

From JDNews:

“[…] Alphonso Hill Jr., of Hubert, a sophomore at Swansboro High School, was a guest at a Feb. 27 African American History Month reception hosted by the White House.

Hill left excited by the opportunity to meet with other guests at the reception and take a first look around Washington, D.C.

He never expected to be invited by the president to the podium to make a few comments.

Family and friends may not have noticed, but Hill laughs when told he looked calm as he addressed the crowd of dignitaries.

Despite all the preparations with the help of his sister the night before, the 15-year-old said it took a few moments to calm his nerves, but then he relaxed.

“When I got on stage and looked up and saw everyone, I was really nervous but just kept smiling. I was prepared but the seeing the crowd really startled me,” Hill said after showing a video clip of his comments.

Moments before, President Donald Trump introduced Hill and congratulated him on his Eagle Scout project and the patriotism it shows.

Hill advanced to the rank of Eagle Scout in 2019 at the age of 14, with an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony and project dedication held Nov. 23 at White Oak Missionary Baptist Church in Maysville, where he installed a flagpole with a granite marker at its base that pays tribute to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, The Daily News reported.

According to the National Eagle Scout Association, only about 5% of scouts achieve the rank of Eagle Scout and Hill is among an even smaller percentage of scouts to do so. Only 2% of African American scouts achieve its highest rank.

Trump specifically noted the inscription Hill chose for the granite marker at the base of the flagpole: “Thank you for yesterday and thank you for the days to come.”

Trump presented Hill with an American flag that was flown on board Marine One and thanked the teen for all his efforts. […]”

Please join us in congratulating Alphonso on the great and well-deserved honor, and read more about his reactions to this unique experience here.

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