Alexis McCullough of Illinois received The American Legion award for 2026.
Alexis McCullough of Bourbonnais, Ill., has been named The American Legion’s Eagle Scout of the Year for 2026 and is receiving a $10,000 college scholarship. McCullough, a senior at Bradley-Bourbonnais High School and a Life Scout in Scouts of America Troop 319G, dedicated a Gold Star Families Memorial as her Eagle Scout service project in honor of her late father, Army Col. Mark McCullough, who passed away in 2019.
“In honor of my late father’s service and sacrifice for our country, I created a community service initiative that raises awareness about the families of our fallen military heroes, where I have had the unique opportunity to represent my community while advocating for a cause close to my heart,” wrote Alexis in her Eagle Scout of the Year application. “This work is both deeply personal and incredibly meaningful, and has allowed me to turn grief into purpose and impact.”
Alexis dedicated the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument on Memorial Day in 2025. It is located in Marcotte Park in Bourbonnais. Her Eagle Scout project took 380 volunteers, 5,500 hours and $120,000 in donations and grants.
“Once my project was completed, it stood as a testament to what individuals with passion and determination can achieve when they come together with a shared purpose,” Alexis said. At the dedication ceremony, “many people expressed their gratitude and shared stories about what the project meant to them. Moments like these remind me why I chose such an impactful project and reinforced my values of community service.”
There are now 155 Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments in 50 states and one territory. They are a legacy of Woody Williams, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient and Legionnaire, who founded the Woody Williams Foundation to honor Gold Star Families through the memorials. Each memorial symbolizes four ideals of military service – homeland, family, patriot and sacrifice. For her memorial, the image symbolizing family depicts Alexis as a young girl holding hands with her father in his Army uniform and mother, Cassandra.
Throughout her Eagle Scout project, Alexis learned “how to lead, how to serve with purpose and how to turn a vision into reality.” And that “leadership is about inspiration, collaboration and the legacy you leave behind,” she said.
Along with Scouting, Alexis attended Illinois American Legion Auxiliary Girls State last summer and is a 2025 American Legion Samsung Scholarship recipient. As Eagle Scout of the Year, she will be honored alongside other American Legion youth champions at the 107th national convention in Louisiville, Ky., in late August.
Additionally, three American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year runners-up will each receive a $2,500 scholarship – Joseph Zogheib of Delaware, Michael Korf of Minnesota and Eric Plath of Indiana.
- Scouting