AKRON, Ohio — A North Canton teen is now part of a very exclusive club. At 13, she has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, making her one of the youngest girls in the country to do so.
We met up with Isabella Hiser at the Akron Zoo. It's been a favorite destination for the 7th grader, ever since she was very young. Her love for all creatures is apparent, as she tours each exhibit. But one in particular, is special.
"I've always found this exhibit cool. I like the way it is set up and where it is."
We are standing at the Patagonia Mara section. The Mara are part of the rodent family and are distant cousins to guinea pigs.
They're a new addition to the zoo, which needed to build a new habitat for them. That's where Isabella and Eagle Scout came in.
Requirements for the rank are not easy. In fact, only about 4% of scouts achieve it. The candidate must earn 21 merit badges, 14 of which must come from a required list -- ranging from first aid to business. The candidate must also assume leadership roles and take on a big community service project.
Isabella reached out to the zoo in early 2023 to see how she might be able to work with them.
"It's a new species and I was like, okay, this kind of sounds fun. So I chose this one. It was great. It was a great experience," Hiser said.
Her plan included turning the old capybara space into one more suited for the Patagonia Mara, who apparently like to dig!
Isabella's plan turned an old pool, into a French drain, allowing the space to be filled with dirt, clay and mulch. It took about two months of teamwork to complete.
"I had a few adults that came and helped me. I had plenty of help from the people I got my supplies from. And then I had a, I had some help from my troop as well. "
The Mara moved into the new space last summer. Their "architect" visits often, to check in on how they're doing.
Isabella is in 7th grade and is a member of Scout Troop 111 - in North Canton. It is a troop made up of all girls. It has been 4 years since the Boy Scouts of America opened up the program to girls. Isabella's older brothers were Eagle Scouts and she knew she wanted to be one too.
"When I was in Cub Scouts. I didn't know that Eagle was a rank, I thought it was an award, but it kind of, it's kind of both."
Now she knows and in fact, Isabella has earned 56 merit badges and plans on adding more.
But it's not about numbers or achievements, Isabella says she simply enjoys the learning - and the way scouts helps her put to use lessons learned in classes like science and math.
As for the future? The teen says her options are wide open!
"I'm just kind of seeing what I can do as a kid and seeing what I want to do later on. This is definitely one of my favorite things that I've done," she said.
What's next for Isabella? For her next adventure, she'd like to attend Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.
Consider this - since its inception in 1911 -- only about 4 percent of scouts reach the rank of Eagle Scout.
Isabella tells us - for her next adventure, she hopes to attend Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. It is one of BSA's four "high adventure base sites." Scouts carry heavy packs while hiking each day in rugged terrain, in an isolated mountain wilderness. Elevation ranges from 6500 to more than 12,400 feet.
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