PRESTON BROWN SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS

WRITTEN BY CHARLENE PULSONETTI | PHOTOS BY KELLY MITCHELL, KEM PHOTOGRAPHY

Preston Brown considered what would best serve his community in the early planning stages of his Eagle Scout Service Project. He eventually chose to build a veterans memorial wall for the Escondido Moose Lodge 1874.

It would be a challenging task, especially for a then-eighthgrader who began planning in February 2022. But overcoming challenges and having a positive outlook are what Brown does best.

Diagnosed with severe asthma and cold urticaria at a young age, he and his family moved to California for his health. At the age of 10, he joined Boy Scouts of America Troop 651 after being introduced to the organization by his adoptive father. While he joined later in life than some of his peers, he quickly found his place among the ranks.

As a senior patrol leader, Brown led weekly meetings, devised agendas and helped younger Scouts. His younger brothers, Jamison, Louden and Bennett, are also Scouts.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned is leadership,” he explains. “(Scouts) teach you important skills in everyday life.”

When his family joined the lodge, he learned that many members were either veterans or family members of veterans. He thought having a place of remembrance would be nice for them.

Plans began about a year ago and started with an initial design created in a free online program. Brown made adjustments based on feedback from the lodge board of directors and, once approved, he began fundraising.

“I did three main fundraisers,” he says, sharing that they included a yard sale, a request for donations and a pancake breakfast. Along the way, he recruited fellow Scouts and their families to help with the logistics.

Brown coordinated with material suppliers. Granite was donated by Arizona Tile in Miramar, which was then sandblasted by Borst Designs and transported by Davis Stone. He worked alongside contractors to prepare the site and arrange for timely delivery.

Making arrangements took considerable time out of Brown’s busy schedule, which included sports as well as schoolwork.

Along with the skills taught to him in Boy Scouts, Brown explains that he also used mechanisms he has developed to work through the side e ects of his ADHD and tic disorder.

“I found a way to target it toward the good things,” he says, sharing that he channels his hyper-focus toward what’s most important at the moment, whether that be keeping his grades up or quickly responding to contractors for his project. “I see it as an ability, because it helps me focus on the right things.”

Before unveiling his project at the lodge’s Annual Memorial Day Picnic on May 28, Brown worked on his speech with his mom, Tori Brown. He also asked lodge member Dan Papp, whom he says was his biggest mentor for the project, to help fine-tune it.

Along with dedicating the memorial, Preston donated $300 and a flag flown over the United States Capitol, provided by U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa.

The Abraham Lincoln quote Brown chose for the wall — “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause, honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause” — aligned with his project vision.

“I wanted this wall to apply to everybody — the veterans, past, current and future, and family and friends who help those vets, as well,” he says.

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The ceremony was attended by lodge members, family and friends, and representatives of service organizations, among others. A key part of the ceremony was inviting veterans to the podium to share their stories.

Now that the memorial is complete, Brown has redirected his focus toward another long-term project — developing a new computer programming language.

After teaching himself coding for the past six years, he realized that there wasn’t a language that quite fit his needs. He wanted to create one that was powerful but simple to use.

He worked with developers at his dad’s friend’s company to come up with ideas, which led to Pekoscript. The code is now in beta and may soon be released.

Though he is hopeful that Pekoscript will take o , Brown plans to apply to a university or college when the time comes.

“I plan on working toward a doctorate in computer science, though I may pause at my master’s to get experience in the industry,” he says.

Brown credits his family for grounding him and giving him a place to be 100 percent himself.

“They support me every day by giving me a place to live, giving me food on my plate, and working extra hard so me and my brothers can have a good life,” he says. “My parents help drive me. Normally I can drive myself, but sometimes you get tired mentally and need that extra push.”

Seeing Preston play in three sports, take honors and AP classes, develop a programming language and complete an Eagle Scout project has been a joy for Tori.

“Part of why I’m so proud of Preston’s accomplishments is because his childhood years weren’t always the easiest,” she says. “He’s dedicated, motivated, he works hard, he works smart, and he should be an inspiration.”

Brown received accolades from his teachers and troop leaders, as well.

“He’s well respected by the other Scouts,” says Scoutmaster Dr. Randall Smith. “I think he found it quite easy to lead by action and example. I feel that he really represents the Scouting program and what we hope to (see) in the youth. He is a shining example of a very positive outcome to the programs and what we like to see — the values of Scouting embodying in youth.”