• From our National Young Marine of the Year Young Marines Esprit ONLINE 3 Hello Young Marines, My name is Young Marine Sergeant Major Lauren Loria and I have been named the 2018- 2019 National Young Marine of the Year. I am excited to be given this opportunity to repre- sent all of you for the coming year. Throughout my Young Marines career, I have faced a lot of challenges. The one constant I have always remembered is that I have a support system through the Young Marines program. This pro- gram is a family, and we are all brothers and sisters in this. Reach out to each other because there is so much to learn from listening to someone else.All my leadership and confidence has been attained from other Young Marines showing me the right way of doing things. Of course, you need to learn things on your own, but every person in your life has a tool they are giving you for your bag of experi- ence. Good or bad, take these life lessons and pass them on to others. Walk into the world, and choose to impact one person’s life, because this program, and all of you, have affected mine. I am proud to pass that onto others. “A good example has twice the value of good advice.”– Author Unknown. Other than doing things to make a difference, we should also seek to influence others to start doing things that make a difference. And the best way to convince other people is to lead by example. In this world, we must continue to help people, start making a difference in peo- ple’s lives, and make the world a better place one step at a time. Ever since I was young, I al- ways wanted to help people. I wanted to make their lives better, which would usually make mine better, too. If I ever saw someone hurt or crying I would be the first one to go and try to help them. I don’t know if that was what my mother taught me, or if that was just the type of person I was supposed to be. But whatever it was, I always helped. I found pleasure from helping someone. I remember reading about people who did amazing things in their lives like Martin Luther King, Jr., or Abraham Lincoln. How they perse- vered and kept going. That’s the way I want my life to be. I want to be remembered for making a difference. I don’t want it for the fame or the glory. It could even be some- thing that made a very small dif- ference but still impacted some- one and I would be happy. I have tried to remem- ber that my actions mean something in the long run. What kind of person do you want to be re- m e m b e r e d as when your friends look back at junior high and high school? Making a difference not only helps the person who got helped, but it can be really life changing for you, too. I want to make this world a better place. I think it is important for us all to be kind, caring, and helpful. So, I challenge you to go and make a difference in the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s as small as just smiling at someone, you still would be making a signifi- cant difference in the world. Medal of Honor Recipient Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski,USN, flanked by National Young Marine of the Year YM/SgtMaj Lauren Loria and Young Marines National Executive Director, Col. Bill Davis at the 2018 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC.