Twins Cooper and Olivia Kimmel Concurrently Pursue the Rank of Eagle Scout
By Phoebe Warren

Many assumptions are made about twins, the biggest perhaps being that they are just alike in every way. Teenagers, BSA Scouts, and twins Cooper and Olivia Kimmel have always challenged these stereotypes, pushed boundaries, and carved their own paths. This shared spirit of determination and individuality has driven each of them to pursue the rank of Eagle Scout. Their projects, though separate, both contribute to the revitalization of downtown Prescott, Arkansas.

Cooper has renovated the interior of the Prescott First United Methodist Church youth building. Olivia, meanwhile, painted a mural on the outside of the building.

Though the Kimmel twins were born in Texarkana, the family moved to Prescott a couple of years ago and began attending Prescott First United Methodist Church. Cooper immediately noticed a need for renovation in the youth building.

“My mom and dad started helping out with the youth on Sunday nights, and I saw that the [youth] building had a lot of potential,” Cooper said. “It had a pool table, a ping pong table, and games, but it needed some fixing up and paint, and it was dirty. I wanted to make it a good spot for us to meet on Sunday evenings and just hang out.” Cooper painted the walls and floors, added lighting, repaired water damage, replaced ceiling tiles, deep cleaned, and added decor. He and his volunteer helpers logged a collective 188 hours of work.

***Cooper renovated the inside of his church’s youth building, which took a collective 188 hours of manual labor. photo by shane darby.***

Olivia wanted to paint a mural for her project, and it was clear to her that the ideal location would be one of the youth building’s exterior walls, which measures approximately 100 feet by 30 feet. “I was asked [by the pastor] to paint something representing transformation,” Olivia said. “I went with the life cycle of a butterfly.” Olivia’s mural includes a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” The mural took Olivia and her helpers a total of 182 hours.

***A dedicated artist, Olivia was asked to paint a transformation-themed mural on the outside of the building. She completed the large, detailed work during the hot summer months. photo by shane darby.***

Prescott locals have taken notice. “We have had around 35 to 40 people asking about the project,” said the Prescott FUMC pastor, Rev. Dr. John Noggle. The United Methodist Conference has also been impressed, promoting the twins’ projects within the wider Methodist community.

Cooper and Olivia battled time constraints and extreme summer heat, but thanks to their hard work, community volunteers, and financial support, they have completed their physical projects. The twins still have to finish up their project reports and sit for their Boards of Review before they are granted the Eagle rank, which they hope to accomplish in the next few weeks. This achievement will be the culmination of ten years of scouting.

Cooper joined the Boy Scouts of America when he was in the first grade. Olivia joined Girl Scouts around the same time, but she found that there wasn’t a large emphasis on outdoor activities. “She was always intrigued and a bit jealous of the camping and Boy Scout stories she heard from her twin brother,” the twins’ mother, Kandice, said. “When girls were able to join BSA, we absolutely jumped on the opportunity.”

In 2017, BSA made the historic announcement that girls would be accepted into the flagship Boy Scout program—renamed Scouts BSA—in 2019. Olivia, then in the fifth grade at St. James Day School, joined Troop 1, led by Scout Master Sigrunn Yost.

“We were the first all-girl troop in Texarkana,” Olivia said. “Mrs. Sigrunn Yost wanted to start a scout troop for girls since her daughter wanted to join, and I wanted to outdo my brother and all our [guy] friends at all things scouts: shooting, rock climbing, small boat sailing, swimming, archery, etc.”

Olivia and Cooper each set their sights on becoming Eagle Scouts early on. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program.

“I think it has always been the goal—I mean, since I knew what it was,” Cooper said. “There are so many famous people that are Eagle Scouts: Neil Armstrong, Bill Gates, Gerald Ford, Steven Spielberg, Martin Luther King, Jr., Michael Jordan, Sam Walton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama.”

Olivia shared similar sentiments. “If I was going to put in the work, I wanted to go all the way,” she said.

In addition to being a scout for at least six months and earning at least 21 merit badges, a member of the Scouts BSA must complete a service project to become an Eagle Scout. Each scout must plan, develop, and lead a community service project, called the Eagle Project, that demonstrates leadership and commitment.

Olivia and Cooper are thoroughly grateful for their scouting experiences.

“I now know how to do paperwork, pack for anything, shoot a gun, fish, start a fire, tie a few knots, and do a lot of first aid,” Olivia said.

Cooper agreed and added that his experience in BSA has given him precious memories and invaluable wisdom. “I got to experience camping and outdoor skills with family and friends,” he said. “We learned to respect each other, God, and our country. [We learned] the importance of helping others and community service.”

Once attaining the rank of Eagle is behind them, Cooper and Olivia will continue pursuing larger goals. They are rising juniors at Prescott High School, having skipped the 9th grade, and are excited to begin concurrent work on their associate’s degrees at UAHT this year. Cooper’s primary goals are to make money, enroll into a good university, and graduate with honors. Olivia wants to study art, travel, and be an independent woman. They both credit their personal successes to the support of their family and friends. Cooper noted that his father, Wade Kimmel, is his biggest role model. Olivia’s role models are “all the amazing women I know,” she said: “Joanna Kimmel, Pat Wagy, Ellen Orr, Robin Rogers, Susie Rogers, Anne Franks, Patty Faye Grimes, Janet Banister, Lindsey Looney, Darlene Taylor, McCarley DuBois, and Kandice Kimmel.”

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Two Projects, One Purpose