Mendota Heights Student Earns Minnesota Eagle Scout Of The Year Award

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN — Matthew Korf, a senior at Saint Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, was recently named Minnesota's Eagle Scout of the Year.

Korf earned the rank of Eagle Scout in June 2021 after finishing a raised-bed community garden at St. Ambrose Catholic School, where he often volunteers, according to a news release.

The 2022 Minnesota Eagle Scout of the Year award puts Korf in the running for the national American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year honor, which comes with a $10,000 scholarship, Saint Thomas Academy officials said in the release. Three other finalists for the national award will earn $2,500 scholarships.

Korf was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Notre Dame on Army and Navy ROTC scholarships, according to his school. He also plans to serve in the military after graduating from Saint Thomas Academy this year.

"Matthew is a well-rounded young man of unquestionable integrity, outstanding military bearing and unlimited leadership potential," according to retired U.S. Army Col. Neil Hetherington, who serves as Saint Thomas Academy's Commandant of Cadets.

Saint Thomas Academy is an all-boys school "rooted in Catholic faith and traditions'' and military leadership, according to its website. The school was founded in 1885 and serves students in grades 6-12.