Like many high school seniors, R.J. Weiford goes to school, competes in track and field, goes to youth group and hangs out with friends.
But in addition to all of these activities, Weiford, a senior at Winfield High School, also spent over 230 hours in four months building a trail for his community as part of his Eagle Scout project.
Weiford approached his church, Teays Valley Church of God, last fall and proposed the idea of a trail on the church's new property, Teays Valley Acres.
From there he got the necessary approvals and organized the hiking trail, called "Walk to Prayer Hill" for the large cross at the end of the 3/10-mile trail.
Completing the trail was not an easy task, Weiford said, and he learned lifelong skills along the way.
"It definitely is not easy; it's not something someone could come out here and just get done," Weiford said. "You have to put in the work."
One of the skills he learned was how to better communicate with volunteers, workers, organizations and businesses. On top of organizing volunteers, Weiford had to gather material for the trail, all of which had to be donated.
Missy Weiford, R.J.'s mother, said R.J. has always been a leader, but this project allowed him to lead and work with others in a way he hadn't before.
"He respects other people's time more now," Missy Weiford said. "People are busy, especially when it's volunteers. He's always been a respectful young man, but he learned a lot more about leadership."
Weiford, a member of Troop 283, knew he wanted to become an Eagle Scout from a young age. He started as a Cub Scout in first grade, and his mother remembers overhearing him and a few of his troop members saying they would be Eagle Scouts one day.
Weiford remembered when he was younger, he watched a group of boys all come into the troop and all earn their Eagle Scout badge together.
"I wanted to be like them," Weiford said. "I looked up to them."
Although Weiford and his friends all had the goal of attaining Eagle Scout, only Weiford and another scout, who now lives in New Jersey, were able to achieve that ranking.
Now, Weiford's younger brother, who is in sixth grade, looks up to Weiford and says he wants to be an Eagle Scout like him.
The project was completed Feb. 2 - 10 days before Weiford's 18th birthday - and was dedicated Sunday, when Weiford also received his Eagle Scout award.
Reach Laura Haight at laura.haight@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @laurahaight_ on Twitter.