During the summer of 2023, Mahtomedi High School (MHS) students Collin Bromeland (Class of 2025) and Xavier Knauss (Class of 2025) represented the United States at the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, South Korea. The students were among 700 American scouts picked for this opportunity, with a total of 43,000 attendees. It took significant financial effort to attend the event; the students fundraised for a year and a half by selling flowers, bagging groceries, and selling lemonade at the White Bear Lake Marketplace events. Knauss shared how MHS prepared the students for the event, “Our time at Mahtomedi has taught us key lessons like respect, humility, and how to rebound from tough situations.”
At the international event, they connected with scouts from all over the world, building relationships and learning new cultures, Bromeland says, “It was fun to meet new people and make connections across the world.” They participated in ceremonies, unity events, and fun activities, encouraging them to explore the South Korean culture and make new global connections. Being chosen for this experience is an honor in itself, Knauss also saw it as an honor to represent the United States to the rest of the world, seeing the event as an opportunity to “represent the best parts of America.” He also shared, “It was cool to meet people from other areas of the world and have conversations about government and politics.”
Bromeland and Knauss are currently life scouts in different troops. Through scouting, they have been working on personal values and life skills like public speaking, service to the community, and environmental respect and exploration, including outdoor cooking and camping. Their service projects in scouting are greatly appreciated in our community, which has involved picking up trash regularly around the area lakes, roadsides, and cemeteries, as well as breakfast fundraisers at local churches. Bromeland and Knauss plan to share their experience with others and are currently working on making a video documentary. Both scouts intend to pursue the Eagle Scout designation and are thinking about their project for the honor. The leadership and commitment of these students to our community are admirable; they are a great asset to the Mahtomedi area community, and we look forward to seeing what they do next!
Written by Jaylen Jones, Class of 2026 student at Mahtomedi High School and Mahtomedi Public Schools Communications Intern