William has been an active long time volunteer in the Simsbury School District Unified Sports and Unified Theater programs. One summer, while talking to a parent with a student in the program, William found out about a specific need that he was determined to fill. He immediately began making plans to meet with Ms. Alaina Haley, the innovative Special Education teacher with a dream of a coffee card business for her class. Ms. Haley’s students are entitled to an education until the age of 21. The main focus of the current program involves a life skills curriculum and working in skills that best prepare these students for adulthood. Her dream of a coffee cart business would teach multiple life skills that are required to become an independent-as-possible adult.

William was instantly inspired. By the time summer ended, William had his ‘Unified Inclusion’ Eagle Scout project plan in place. William organized his team of volunteers and during the 2016/2017 school year he oversaw the progress on a series of needed procedures that supported the student’s coffee cart business. Each task created was done with increasing the student’s independence in mind. Endless volunteer hours by his team created the visual book used by the students with step by step directions on the use and breakdown of the coffee cart. Visual representation of money, the cash box, withdrawal and deposit slips, an inventory list and procedures to work with the coffee cart were all created to increase each student’s independence that could be easily followed. All items William created required both visual and hands on student interaction. William’s project significantly improved the independence of the class and set the footprint for each future class to follow. William is extremely proud of the positive impact his project had in the Special Education class at Simsbury High School and for students in years to come.

William would like to thank Diana Yeisley and her son Carter for inspiring him with your story of the coffee cart that needed someone like William to organize and plan. William would like to send a heartfelt note of gratitude to Alaina Haley and her class who gave him the unique opportunity to work side by side with them everyday, which was the most anticipated part of his sophomore year school day. A huge thank you to all the scout leaders from Troop 174 who taught William through their examples, how to live by a superior Code of Conduct, especially Mr. Fogle and Mr. Burrows.

Lastly, William would like to thank his parents, his sister Katherine and grandparents, through their endless love and guidance he is a compassionate, respectful considerate leader today.