Montini Catholic in Lombard congratulated senior Rory O'Connor (Woodridge) and junior Conor Kaefer (Lombard) for earning their Eagle Scout rank this year. The two young men were recognized at the Lasallian college preparatory high school's Founder's Day ceremony on Friday, May 17th.

Rory O'Connor is a member of Troop 89 in Downers Grove. His journey in scouting began in 2012, when he joined Cub Scouts in 1st grade. In 2017, as an energetic fifth grader at St. Mary of Gostyn, Rory crossed over to Boy Scouts. He has enjoyed a twelve year scouting career." 

He completed his Eagle Scout project in October of 2023 with the help and support of his dad and Bronco alumnus, Pat O'Connor '81. "My project was to renovate (Montini's) De LaSalle Courtyard," he informed. "The area was completely overgrown by three large bushes, weeds, and a pine tree and was completely muddy and covered in dirt. The first step was to remove the weeds in the area, some of them were four feet tall. The next step was to trim down the tree and remove the bushes." A major complication to Rory's challenging outdoor project was the weather! "On one of my days it was raining the whole day. Everything was dirty and it made working very slow." Rory's initial plan was to reposition several larger patio blocks, but due to their weight and size Rory decided to alter his plans.  "Once the tree was trimmed and the bushes removed, we dug out trenches and laid new (smaller) patio stones around the outer edge." Landscaping and power washing came next. "We also laid polymeric sand down in the trenches (to deter weed growth). The last step was to hang the cross that was built by my father and me. I believe that the cross brings the whole space together." Rory's vision was a more open and clean space to allow for small gatherings in the courtyard - something that was not possible before.

Rory was happy to have additional support from a number of fellow scout friends. "They encouraged me to make it to the finish line on time. Many of them showed up to help me out with my project and one of my Cross Country teammates showed up to help. I also had some older scouts come back and help, and they were the ones who I looked up to when I was just starting out."

He is also very grateful to have had the help of both of his parents in completing his Eagle Scout mission. His mother, Michelle (Ptak) O'Connor '88 is also a graduate of Montini and works in the Lasallian high school's Development Department in De LaSalle Hall. She nudged Rory, slightly, on the need for a courtyard renovation. "My father has always been involved with scouts with me. He knew what a great achievement this would mean for me. My brother, (Patrick '21) was also in scouting for a short amount of time. He did not achieve Eagle Scout and regretted it. My father saw this and knew that I could not make the same mistake." Rory recalls how thankful he was to have his dad by his side every step of the way. He credits his dad for being his inspiration throughout his Eagle Scout journey. "While I was working on this project, there was no free time, which my dad reminded me of regularly. I really wanted to make my dad happy because this was a journey that he and I shared together for most of my life. Most of my fondest memories are from scouting with my dad." '

This fall Rory, who was most recently voted Prom King by his peers, is on his way to The University of Mississippi where he plans on studying Political Science and History. His time at Montini Catholic saw him involved in many ways. He was a member of Montini's Cross Country and Volleyball teams, earning Academic All Conference all four years in both sports. He also dedicated his time as a Peer Minister and was a member of Lasallian Youth. He earned membership into the National Honor and French Honor Societies and was the 'voice of Montini' as a member of the Broadcasters Club. He also lent his time to Montini's Chess and History Clubs. "I really enjoyed Cross Country the most because of the memories that I have created," he said. "Some of my closest friends were on the team with me and without them I do not believe I would be the person I am today. In XC, I have been a part of a family that makes you the best version of yourself." 

"Being an Eagle Scout means everything to me," said Rory. "I have spent two-thirds of my life in scouting and it has never disappointed me. As I mentioned earlier, some of my best memories are from scouting. Many of the core values that Boy Scouts teaches you are my personal values. To say that from everything I have gained from Boy Scouts and achieve the highest rank that they offer is something to behold. Only about 4-6% of Boy Scouts become an Eagle Scout, so it is a very select group of people, which now I can say I am a part of."

Junior Conor Kaefer has been a Boy Scout for nearly seven years. Like Rory, he became a Boy Scout after crossing over from Cub Scouts in the fifth grade. The Sacred Heart School graduate is a member of Troop 202 in Lombard.  For his Eagle Scout Project, which was completed in May of 2023, Conor chose to build a 100 foot fence for the Lombard Historical Society at the Victorian Cottage Historic House Museum on Maple Street in Lombard. The Lombard Historical Society was very grateful for Conor's decision and are so happy to have the new addition, posting on Instagram, "It looks amazing and is a great addition to the museum property." 

"The fence took three weeks to physically build and install, as the entire thing was handmade out of wood," said Conor. "The actual designing, planning, and coordinating took several months longer. The fence has helped beautify the appearance of the Cottage, and improves the historical effect on visitors."

Conor was thankful to have the help of family members, members of his troop and personal friends to assist in the completion of his ambitious project.  "Since the very beginning of my Scouting experience, my parents (Frederick and Jeanne Kaefer) have always been there to support and encourage me," says Conor. "My dad has been an assistant leader in my troop since my older brothers, Matthew '16 and Paul '09 (also both Eagle Scouts) became scouts. He has gone camping with me many times, and I have learned countless things from him. My mom has also been a big supporter of my scouting career, and she was particularly supportive and helpful with the completion of my Eagle Scout Project."

Conor is a very involved Montini Catholic student as well. With one more year left to go in his high school career, he has already achieved more than most as a Bronco. He is a member of Montini's Cross Country and Track & Field teams achieving Academic All Conference status in both sports during his time on the teams. He is also a member of Montini's Math Team and played an integral role in their 6th place State finish this year. He and his teammate (Seoyeon Park) were State Champions in the Junior Senior 2 Person Team Division. He was inducted into Mu Alpha Theta (Math) Honor Society during his sophomore year and was most recently awarded the Robert Huntoon Memorial Scholarship, acknowledging his excellence in math. 

Conor is also a member of Montini's Robotics Team and traveled to Dallas, Texas this spring to compete in the VEX Robotics Worlds Championship for the second time in his high school career. He is a member of Montini's National Honor Society as well as the History and Spanish Clubs. Earlier this year, he was among two students at Montini who were local winners of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Voice of Democracy Contest. He was also selected to be a Peer Minister and will continue this mission into his last year as a Bronco. He is looking forward to his senior year at Montini and has plans to study engineering in college.

Conor felt very supported at Montini throughout his long, arduous journey to become an Eagle Scout. "My teachers at Montini have been very supportive of my scouting journey," he said. "My Cross Country Coach, Coach (Eric) Brechtel, is an Eagle Scout himself, and several of my friends at Montini are on their way to becoming Eagle Scouts." 

Reflecting on his long Boy Scout career, there is no doubt Conor is very proud of his accomplishments and grateful for the experience. "To me, being an Eagle Scout is the culmination of many years of hard work and fun experiences. Through scouting I have learned many important lessons in leadership, determination, and life long skills. It is an honor for me to have achieved the ultimate rank of scouting."



Eagle Scout is the highest achievement attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America. The designation "Eagle Scout" has a long history since its founding over one hundred years ago. Only four percent of Boy Scouts are granted this rank after a lengthy review process. The requirements necessary to achieve this rank take years to fulfill.

Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges in fields such as first aid, citizenship in the community, nation and world, communication, personal fitness and emergency preparedness to name a few. According to the Boy Scouts of America, an Eagle scout must demonstrate Scout Spirit - "an ideal attitude based upon the Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages."