Even before Jonathan R. Huml was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), Jon never chose the easy path.
By the age of 12, he completed the requirements for his Eagle Scout rank. This achievement was the result of hundreds of hours of work on merit badges and community service projects. He played in two baseball championships, one in South Durham Little League and one with his team at Immaculata Catholic School (ICS). Playing catcher on the team with the best record at ICS in 10 years, he earned the only sports award given to students each spring: The Dedication and Determination Award.
After Jon was diagnosed with FSHD at the University of North Carolina – and with the encouragement and support of his grandfather, Raymond G. Wile – Jon took his first Discovery Flight in Williamsburg, Virginia and was hooked on flying. He was determined to learn how to fly and took cross country flights to Kitty Hawk (NC), Asheville (NC), Charlotte (NC), North Myrtle Beach (SC) and Williamsburg (VA) logging over 80 hours of flying using a Cessna 172 airplane, though he also once took the controls of 1965 Mooney M20C!
Although he considered changing schools to make it easier for himself to maneuver in a motorized wheelchair, he graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School as a member of the National Honor Society. With a passion for the Tar Heels since he was three-years-old, Jon enrolled in the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Jon is considering applying for acceptance into the Biomedical Engineering program – a joint degree from both North Carolina State University and UNC-Chapel Hill.
Whatever Jon decides, one thing is for sure. After Jon’s Troop, 424, celebrated his Eagle Scout achievement in 2011 with a special court of honor, he was recognized by his local paper, the Herald Sun. The article contained a quote about Jon that still rings true today, “When he sets his mind to getting something done, he does it.”