COEUR d'ALENE - Before he's even a senior in high school, Christopher Ward will have the high honor of fulfilling his Eagle Scout requirements and reaching the top of his Scout career.

The 17-year-old Coeur d'Alene High School junior just completed his final project and only has his communications merit badge left to obtain. Then, this summer, he will go before the Eagle review board and graduate from Boy Scout to Eagle Scout.

"Going into senior year knowing that I'll be an Eagle Scout is something that I'll be very proud of," he said. "It'll be something that I can fall back on, that I was able to do this or do something that not a lot of men or boys in the community could do and stick with it to the end."

Christopher spent almost a year building a paver path for Hospice House of North Idaho, no small task for a student involved in three bands, debate, track and the Coeur d'Alene Youth Orchestra. He said while he could have chosen a smaller project, he wanted to do whatever he could to help an organization that gives so much to its community. And with no prior experience, he found the job was a challenging new experience that helped him learn new skills.

"For this project I selected something bigger that would push my boundaries," Christopher said. "Something where I could really give back."

His mom, Shelly Ward, said she's very proud of her son, who has really grown while moving up the ranks.

"The Scout program has a lot of opportunities for boys to better themselves in so many ways," she said. "He has definitely taken advantage of that."

Christopher said looking back, he feels fulfilled with his Scouting experiences. He became a Scout when he was 8.

"It's really rewarding to see where I was," he said. "I was just looking at old pictures of myself as a Tiger Cub. I've made some good decisions, made some bad ones. I feel like I've really learned a lot from those experiences, from learning how to handle a pocket knife to cooking dinner to learning how to set up a safe and effective campsite, and how to go about your life when you're camping, or how to know what to do in an emergency situation."