By Melissa Dunson
mdunson@joplinglobe.com
Lucian Myers acknowledges that he’s a little unusual, but he likes it.
At age 19, he’s disciplined, responsible and into history. Myers was home-schooled through high school. He has been regularly volunteering his time to community groups since he was 14 and has already planned out much of his future.
On Wednesday, Myers shook hands with U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., as he was honored for being his own brand of unusual.
Blunt gave Myers, a Carl Junction resident, the Congressional Award Silver Medal during a presentation at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce. To earn certificates and medals under the Congressional Award program, young people work with adult mentors to set and meet goals through volunteering and self-development.
Myers already had earned bronze, silver and gold certificates, followed by a Bronze Medal. He is just a few physical-fitness hours away from his Congressional Award Gold Medal.
“What makes Lucian unusual?” said Myers’ mother, Jamie Myers, trying not to cry as she formed an answer. “He is very focused. He’s had a certain idea of what he’s wanted to do for a long time. He’s very task and goal oriented. He’s just always seemed a little older than he was.”
Myers is accomplished, and his interests are varied. He started out volunteering at a nature preserve in southern Florida when his family lived there for several years. That’s when he first heard about the Congressional Award program.
Since moving back to Southwest Missouri, Myers has donated more than 500 hours of community service to the Stained Glass Theatre in Joplin.
He also has competed in the state meet for home-schooled track athletes, and the national tournament for home-schooled speech and debate students.
Many of Myers’ passions surround the military. He is a member of the Civil Air Patrol and earned a Billy Mitchell Award from the CAP earlier this summer.
“It’s basically becoming a cadet officer,” Myers said. “Only 15 percent of the cadets in the program obtain that grade. It’s quite an accomplishment.”
While getting his high-school credits at home, Myers also took dual-credit classes at Crowder College. He will enter Pittsburg (Kan.) State University as a sophomore this fall. He said he hopes to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in military science. He will participate in PSU’s Army ROTC program. He plans to join the Army as an officer after that, and he hopes to become a combat engineer.
In his free time, Myers helps re-enact battles with the 84th Infantry World War II re-enactors’ group based in Columbia.
He also gave up part of his summers to work on his uncle’s farm in Madison, learning how to shoe horses, grind grain for cattle, break and train a colt, and operate a Bobcat utility machine.
“In certain things I can be really focused, but I don’t think of myself like that,” Myers said. “I saw this as very attainable. It wasn’t just something a select few could do. I didn’t have to be the best of the best. I just had to apply myself.”
Going for gold
Lucian Myers is just a few physical-activity hours from receiving a Congressional Award Gold Medal. He said he hopes to accomplish that in the next one to two years.
“Hopefully, I’ll be back one more time for one of these,” Myers said, motioning to his Silver Medal. “Why not get the gold? Why not be one of the select few who have accomplished this?”
