DELTONA - As the top bird in the aviary kingdom, the eagle has acute vision, tenacity under adversity, and flies higher than any other bird.

It is no wonder, then, that the Boy Scouts of America chose the mighty eagle as the symbol of its highest available rank. And in his quest to become an Eagle Scout, Jacob Gregory of Deltona has demonstrated many of the eagle's traits, despite a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “people with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.”

“He is a good role model who has had to overcome adversity,” said Chris Doyle, Troop 231's assistant scoutmaster and Jacob's Eagle Scout mentor.

In the process to becoming an Eagle Scout, Troop 231's first-ever, Jacob, had to rise through scouting ranks, by earning merit badges, serving in leadership roles and receiving multiple letters of recommendation. It is a goal that he has been working toward since joining the Cub Scouts 11 years ago.

“The struggles that Jacob has had to get through with his ADHD,” Doyle said, “he has had to fight every step of the way.”

A component of becoming an Eagle Scout is to identify an opportunity to better his community through performing a service project. Jacob, 17, chose the West Volusia Humane Society in DeLand as his area of focus, after his grandmother adopted an animal from there and told him they could really use the help, Jacob said.

Several large trees had fallen onto the chain-link fence surrounding the field, home to the society's adoptable farm animals. Until the fence was repaired, Jacob said, the area was not secure for the animals. The project appealed to Jacob, he said because he loves “goats, dogs and pigs.”

Someone had previously donated fencing materials for the repair, Jacob said, but with the society's shoestring budget, the project had languished. And before he could even begin any work, Jacob had to complete an application for the project. Similar to a business plan, the application outlined how much time and money would be required for the project, any potential hazards, and how Jacob would go about fundraising and managing the project.

In effect, Jacob, a junior at University High School in Orange City, acted as the contractor for the project. He researched materials and discovered the pricing difference between residential- and commercial-grade fencing poles, and had to oversee the 31 workers (mostly Troop 231 members) who showed up to erect the fencing.

The catch? Jacob was not allowed to do any actual physical labor; he had to rely on his communication skills to make sure that the project was completed correctly.

“If there's no communication, then work's not getting done,” Jacob said. And because of Jacob's extensive planning, the project was finished in less than four hours.

Scott Gregory, Jacob's father, said he is “incredibly proud” of Jacob for the “hard work and dedication he has shown for something he believes in.”