Eighth grader Mac Price at Rising Starr Middle wanted to give something meaningful to the Fayette County Public School System’s special needs program that would benefit students with social disabilities and help him earn his Eagle Scout badge.
Mac has Asperger’s Syndrome and has excelled both academically and socially thanks to the services he has received since entering the school system as a kindergartener, according to his mother Susan Hoey.
“I knew something was wrong early on. I had heard about Fayette County’s reputation for working with special needs children so we took a leap of faith and moved here; it paid off,” she said.
Mac decided the best way for him to give back to the program was to build a puppet theater to help elementary students with their social skills. Students use the puppets and the stage to act out social problems they are having, such as making friends or being in a crowded room, and then work with their teacher to find solutions.
“I chose this project because I really wanted to help special needs classes as they have helped me so much. I doubt that I would have been able to accomplish my goal of becoming an Eagle Scout without the assistance these classes have given me. I want kids with Asperger’s to know that it is there for them too,” said Mac.
Mac wanted to reach as many students in the county as he could so he built two theaters, one for Spring Hill Elementary and the other for his former school, Peeples Elementary. It took him 80 hours to plan, research, and build the two theaters, along with the help of 23 Troop 21 scouts and leaders.
“Troop 21 and scouting in general has given me so much support; my Scoutmaster, Mike Warren, also really supported me on this project,” said Mac.
Mac’s commitment to helping other kids like him is not stopping now that he has earned his Eagle Scout badge. He hopes to someday help the scientific world better understand the cause of social disorders, such as Asperger’s, by studying genetics in college and becoming a research scientist. Mac also enjoys music, so additionally he is planning to study music theory and composition with dream of playing saxophone in a symphonic or jazz band.
Mac has a few years before he is off to college, and in the meantime, he is taking pride in his Eagle Scout project knowing that it will help many kids like him prepare for great futures.
“I feel really great about this project. Scouting is about giving back to your community, and hopefully I have done a good job doing this with my Eagle project.
