Celeste Saul of Dunlap is central Illinois' first female Eagle Scout.
Saul joined Troop 1627 in East Peoria in 2019, shortly after the Boy Scouts changed its name to "Scouts BSA" and began admitting girls to the program. She is the first woman to earn Eagle Scout rank in the 14-county W.D. Boyce region.
"It's a really great achievement to get to, and a really great honor," Saul said. "There's not a lot of women in the BSA scouting, but it's really great. You learn lots of life lessons you might not have learned without being in the program. It's just a really great experience."
Saul earned 47 merit badges, far more than the 21 she needed to become an Eagle Scout. Her major community service project was the restoration of the Singing Woods Nature Preserve Trail.
She was officially recognized during a Court of Honor ceremony in Peoria's Robinson Park on Sunday.
"It was really awesome to be able to get it done and be a good example for other Scouts who want to get to Eagle, and for other young girls who also want to be able to achieve the Eagle rank, too," Saul said.
Only about 8% of all Scouts entering the program since 1912 earned Eagle Scout rank.
Saul is currently a freshman at Illinois State University in Normal.
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