Michael Sosa MILLSTONE — Michael Sosa of Boy Scout Troop 116, Millstone Township, put a great deal of love and care into creating a garden for youngsters with special needs at the Millstone Township Primary School. Michael, 17, created the garden as his Eagle Scout project.
Michael’s vision is for children with special needs to use the garden to learn life skills by planting fruits and vegetables, and then tending to the garden so it thrives.
Michael designed and constructed the raised 100-square-foot garden and placed a fence around it. He mulched the garden and created a weatherproof sign.
The young man was inspired to create the garden after he had a discussion with Principal Trish Bogusz.
“We were discussing ideas, and this one came up,” Michael said. “I really liked it, and I wanted to move forward with it.”
The young man said he was moved when he received a thoughtful “thank you” letter from students and teachers.
“It made me feel so good to get that letter,” Michael said. “It felt like I had made a difference in the world.”
The young man said he was grateful for the experiences he has had as a Scout.
“Scouting has taught me a lot of life lessons and skills that I would not have known otherwise,” he said. “I had opportunities to go on physically challenging trips, like biking across Cape Cod.”
He thanked his family for their help and support with his Eagle Scout project. His parents are Laura and Mike Sosa, and he has a sister, Alex, 15.
“My family liked my project a lot,” Michael said. “My mom and sister helped make the sign for the garden. My dad and other Scouts helped with the construction.”
Michael is a student at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook. He is taking several classes at Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, in addition to his high school courses. Michael plans to major in computer science when he attends college.
“I learned a lot from doing this Eagle Scout project,” he said. “I think it strengthened my leadership and management skills.”
“We are very proud of Michael for obtaining the rank of Eagle, the culmination of his hard work over many, many years,” his parents said. “We are especially proud that he has completed a project that made a difference in the lives of others.
“We were impressed with the significant number of fellow Scouts and classmates from other towns in Monmouth County who came out to help him with the project.”
Michael was one of two Scouts recognized at an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony on Nov. 29.
Derek Mathews was the other Scout who was honored.
Derek created an documentary titled “Vietnam: The Veterans Perspective” that he planned to show at elementary schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Derek created the film as his Eagle Scout project with Boy Scout Troop 116 in Millstone Township.