SJC brothers earn Eagle Scout honors

On Jan. 15, Cadet seniors Thomas and Daniel Cohen became Eagle Scouts. Fellow Cadet Corps members attended the ceremony to celebrate the Cohen twins’ accomplishment. 

Daniel Cohen said that becoming an Eagle Scout was not his end goal. “[I was more] interested in the deep-wilderness, survival-style camping that took us places like the deserts of New Mexico and the boundary waters of Canada, where we’d spend weeks on end with nothing but the clothes on our backs, some food, and a few extra pairs of socks. Eventually, Eagle Scout was within reach, so [my brother and I] decided to take it,” Daniel said.

Thomas had a similar mindset. “It was the challenge of it. Only four percent of Scouts make it to be an Eagle Scout, we wanted to be a part of that.” He also liked the bonus “boost” that being an Eagle Scout gave to college applications. Thomas acknowledged that the struggles along the way “made it really special,” as did getting to accomplish it with his brother and having other Cadets there. “Living so far away, it was like having our worlds collide.” 

Daniel also acknowledged how special it was. “My brother is my best friend and my worst enemy, as I’m sure many other siblings can relate. Becoming Eagle with him was very special, as was doing it with many Cadets there. It was very much the blending of two worlds.”

While Thomas could not pinpoint one aspect of Scouts that was most meaningful to him, Daniel knew right away. He said, “Attitude is everything. I’ve been legitimately lost in the wilderness more than a few times, usually a few days away from any semblance of civilization, and I’ve learned that attitude is the only difference between an ordeal and an adventure. You just gotta double down and keep pushing forward.”