VHHS senior achieves Eagle Scout ranking

VHHS senior Daniel Simmons of Dawson Family of Faith Boy Scout Troop 83 recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Simmons is a member of the National Eagle Scout Association. Mayor Alberto Zaragoza Jr. presented Simmons with a Certificate of Commendation to recognize him earning the rank of Eagle Scout. A Court of Honor ceremony was held at the Charles T. Clayton Scout Service Center in Liberty Park. 

For Simmons’ Eagle Scout project, he led a major community service project to build and install two kiosks at the trailheads between Vestavia Hills Elementary Central and the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest. Simmons designed the cedar shake shingle roof kiosk and mapped the trails with his GPS. The kiosks now include updated maps of the trails leading to and from the library and soccer fields at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central Trail and Boulder Canyon Trail. The project was funded by donations from neighborhood friends and family.

Simmons is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald B. Simmons of Vestavia Hills and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Don O. Simmons of Anniston, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Kendrick of Gadsden and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Rice of Wetumpka.  

At VHHS, Simmons has been a member of the marching band, track and field team and Men’s Honor Choir. He is also a member of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, where he has been actively involved in ASP (the Appalachian Service Mission Project) for the past three years. He volunteers with a number of Eagle Scout projects, Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, Mayor’s Teen Council and Teen Court of Birmingham. 

He has been accepted at The University of Alabama for fall 2014, where he will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.