We, we are, we are the mighty, we are the mighty Highlanders! Homestead is a place where students show their pride every day, so it would make sense that the school would be properly represented. Instead of displaying the Homestead colors of red, white and black, the Homestead sign in the front of the school showed colors of brown and yellow.

Matt Heilmann, senior, decided that repainting the sign and maintaining the landscape around it would be the perfect opportunity to complete his Eagle Scout project. “I wanted to do something that would really make a difference at Homestead. The sign was in disrepair and needed a lot of help, so over the summer I started planning the project,” Heilmann said.

Planning for this project began in July, it was approved in late August, and the materials and tools were collected through September. The majority of the project was completed on Saturday, Oct. 10, with some finishing touches added on Oct. 11.

As a way to help out students in the National Honors Society (NHS), Heilmann offered the project up for volunteer work that could be completed for large-group service hours. Students in NHS need to have at least 5 hours of large-group service, among other service hours, in order to fulfill the requirement. “I wanted to get my NHS service hours in a fun way, and this seemed like a great way to do it,” Elliot Kimmel, senior, said.   

In total, there were 37 volunteers who participated in helping with the sign throughout the day. Shifts were offered for 1-2 hours, but volunteers could stay for as long as they wanted to help out. Volunteers used power sanders, paint brushes and rollers, paint, hedge trimmers, shovels, rakes, mulch and leaf blowers to renovate the sign and the shrubbery surrounding it.

The sign was fully completed on Oct. 11 with bright colors of red, white and black, replacing the old, dull, non-Homestead colors. “Remaking this sign really helped to better represent Homestead,” Nicole Reno, senior, said.

“For most people, this sign is all that they see of Homestead as they go down Mequon Road; with the sign being renovated, they’ll have concrete evidence that the school itself is also going through vast improvements. I hope that the community is happy with how the sign turned out. I’ll only be able to think of it highly if they all do, too,” Heilmann said.

Gallery • 6 Photos