Last Memorial Day, Alexis McCullough sat in her car near her Eagle Scout service project: an impressive polished black granite memorial devoted to Gold Star families. Alexis’ father — an Army colonel who served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded two Bronze Stars — died unexpectedly from a heart attack in 2019 when she was 11 years old.
While the grief of losing her father weighed heavily on her, she soldiered on, pursuing her interests in pageants, wrestling, theater, golf, symphony orchestra, martial arts and Scouting.
She joined a Scouts BSA troop and later a Venturing crew. When the time came to pick a project for the Eagle Scout Award, she wanted to do something big for her community, but she also thought the project would finally bring her closure after her father’s passing.
However, grief is a journey that doesn’t have a destination. Like trekking a long trail, some days might be easier than others and everyone hikes at their own pace.
“I felt it’d be something to forget my grief,” Alexis says. “It did the complete opposite. Once this project was over, it was like any other day. This isn’t something you want to forget.”
On that Memorial Day, Alexis noticed a mother and daughter approach the memorial and saw that her project was helping others on their journeys as well.
“It really got to me,” says the 17-year-old Eagle Scout from Troop 319 of St. George, Ill. “They left flowers behind at the monument. I got out of my car and saw multiple bouquets. It was so heartwarming. People are reflecting and using this space that was created for them.”
‘I’m doing this’
Gold Star families are those who have lost an immediate family member during their active duty. The Woody Williams Foundation, named after the World War II veteran who started it, works to honor those families by helping build monuments around the country. So far, they have worked to erect more than 150.
Alexis’ mom Cassandra encouraged partnering with the foundation to put up a monument in a park in their hometown of Bourbonnais, Ill. It’d end up being a two-year endeavor with a price tag upwards of $120,000.
“She said, ‘I’m doing this whether it’s my Eagle project or not,’” Cassandra says.
Alexis met with Village of Bourbonnais officials and veterans’ organizations to gain support. She planned fundraisers to accumulate the money and designed the imagery for the granite stones. Each panel highlights a different value for military families and service members: homeland, family, patriotism and sacrifice. The stones are positioned to form a silhouetted space of a saluting soldier.
“I had a lot of liberty with the design process,” Alexis says. “There are clouds on every single panel. That represents how every panel is intertwined. It’s something that speaks to me.”
Community support
Alexis oversaw the monument’s construction and built friendships with the volunteers, many of whom are community leaders.
“The community wanted to participate for her,” Cassandra says. “It was nice to see.”
In total, 380 volunteers put in about 5,500 hours to create the monument.
The community also came out for the monument’s dedication ceremony. Alexis anticipated a small group to attend — instead about 400 people showed up. While planning the ceremony, Alexis coordinated with the local college and church to shuttle attendees to the park because there wasn’t enough parking. The ceremony featured speeches by local leaders and a flag ceremony, including an American flag unfurling from the top of a fire engine ladder.
“I don’t want to be a cheesy person by saying anything is possible, but it really is,” Alexis says. “It happened because I put on my ‘big girl pants’ and said, ‘Let’s do this.’”
The most influential drive came from the memory of her father.
“I feel like I wake up every single day and I’m trying to make him proud,” she says. “He was smart and talented and did a lot of great things.”
Moving forward
Pursuing her passions has led Alexis to accomplish a lot of great things too. Earlier this year, she was named Miss Chicago’s Teen, a preliminary contest for Miss Illinois in the Miss America program. She plays multiple instruments, performing in her high school’s orchestra and band. She’s also active in theater, choir and a few school clubs. She credits her time in Scouting for helping her discover how to be a leader.
“That’s partly why I wanted to put more effort into Scouting,” Alexis says. “The most fun I’ve had is when I’ve gone above and beyond.”
