Columbia Falls High School senior Sam Paul got his Eagle Scout rank last month.

It took Paul, 18, an estimated 142 service hours to plan and build a new exterior deck and stairs for the Fellowship Alliance Church.

“My church was in need of that at that time, and I felt like that was something I could do,” Paul explained.

The Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts also use the Fellowship Alliance Church, and because Paul is a former Cub Scout, he saw the project as a way to give back to the organization.

The biggest challenge in building the deck and chairs was either recruiting volunteers or hitting rocks when digging, Paul said. He’s taken all the woodworking classes offered at the school, so the carpentry aspect came more easily.

Paul was born in Salina, Kansas, and moved to Montana with his mom when he was 3 years old. They’ve lived in Columbia Falls since 2009.

After Paul graduates in early June, he plans to attend University of Montana Western to obtain a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology. He wants to be a game warden someday, fulfilling a dream he’s had since age 6. He plans on staying in Montana forever.

“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” he said.