Michael Hanson of Austin likes to take the high road.

Perhaps that’s why he has earned the highest advancement award the Boy Scouts of America offers to Scouts: the Eagle Award.

Hanson will be recognized at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 at the Ruby Rupner Auditorium at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. A member of The Knights of Columbus Troop 113, Hanson is one of approximately 2 percent of all Boy Scouts who attain the Eagle Rank, according to Scoutmaster Brent Hanson.

Each Eagle candidate must earn 21 merit badges and successfully complete a community, church or synagogue-related service project. Hanson earned 39 merit badges and chose to remove 9,000 pounds of fence posts, wire and barn block from the Carex Wildlife Management Area near Moscow, Minn., as his service project. Hanson’s project took him and 30 volunteers two weekends and close to 300 service hours to finish.

Hanson is a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, enjoys hunting and bowling and is active in soccer, golf and Science Olympiad at Austin High School, where he is a senior. He is the son of Susan VanPelt and Brent Hanson, both of Austin.