Jeffrey Nebeker, 18, of Plano earned all 138 merit badges offered by the Boy Scouts. Jeff completed all badges just two-and-a-half weeks before his 18th birthday.
"It was two and a half weeks before. It was a bitter end with that bugling," laughed his mother, Marisa Nebeker.
Bugling was the final badge for Nebeker to earn, and it took seven years to finally complete. Some badges were harder than others. The cycling badge required a 50-mile ride.
"If you have an interest in anything, there's a merit badge for it," said his father Ryan.
Each badge took sacrifice and not just on Jeff's part. Achieving his goal took up many Saturdays. It also gave a father quality time with his son.
"Pretty much he was the one who drove me to finish everything," said Jeff.
And now, Jeff is in rare company. Only about 360 people have every badge, and that's since the beginning of the Scouts.
"This isn't just about filling up the sash anymore. This is about learning about all these different topics," Jeff said.
Jeff said this part of the journey has taught him organization. He looks forward to sleeping in on Saturdays for the time being. The next big chapter will be graduating high school and entering college, which is something he is really looking forward to.
