Sammy Foosaner Soaring Like an Eagle
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Gerald Murray enjoying the view courtesy of his grandson.
By Leonard Shapiro
t began when his grandparents went on a leisurely walk around the gorgeous grounds of the Hill School campus. Recently relocating to the Middleburg area, Marrilyn and Gerald Murray took the recommendation of their 17-year-old grandson and Hill graduate Sammy Foosaner and thoroughly enjoyed their stroll, with one exception. “They came over for dinner one night,” Sammy recalled. “I was talking to my grandfather and his one complaint was that there was really no place to sit down. It hit my mind right away. It was the perfect idea for my Eagle Scout project.” Sammy has been in scouting since he joined the Cub Scouts at age seven. Ten years later, he’s now an Eagle Scout, having completed his grandparent-inspired community service project. Under his supervision, including fundraising and some serious sweat equity, four sturdy benches have been placed around the Hill School property. The most spectacular site—atop Flag Hill behind the school, with a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Not long after that conversation with his grandfather, Sammy, a Junior at Highland in Warrenton, contacted Treavor Lord, Hill’s Head of School and an Eagle Scout himself. He set up a meeting that included Bob Dornin, who supervises the Hill grounds, and Sammy made his pitch. “I’ve known Sammy nearly his entire life and it’s been an honor to follow his path from young Cub Scout to Eagle,” Lord said. ‘His idea of installing benches along our walking trails so that visitors to the campus could rest and enjoy the wonderful landscape was classic Sammy: thoughtful, kind, and delivered with his signature enthusiasm.” “I drew up my design for it,” Sammy said. “I did all the research, where to find the best benches, how much it would cost. When it was over, they said they’d never seen a presentation with that level of detail. They were all for it.”
THE HILL SCHOOL VOTED #1 PRIVATE SCHOOL IN LOUDOUN COUNTY 2019, 2020, & 2021! Total education: academics, art, music, drama, and athletics for every student
Individualized, caring attention with a 6:1 studentteacher ratio
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Outdoor science center, ponds and wetlands on our 140-acre campus
Bus service and before-and-after school care
MIDDLEBURG SUSTAINABLE COMMITTEE| Spring 2022
Junior Kindergarten through 8th Grade Middleburg, VA Since 1926
