Adult Leaders Conference 2018 YM/SgtMaj Lauren Loria named National Young Marine of the Year The Young Marines announced the 2018 - 2019 National Young Marine of the Year, YM/ SgtMaj Lauren Loria, 17, of Fairfax, VA. A senior at Chantilly High School, Lauren is a member of the Col. Wesley Fox Young Ma- rines in Sterling, VA. She represented Division 2, competing with five other Division Young Marines of the Year for the title of National Young Marine of the Year, which was announced at the annual Adult Leaders’ Conference for Young Marines in San Antonio, Texas. “I was so excited when I heard my name an- nounced,”Loria said.“This is the start of a new role for me in the Young Marines. My mother is so proud of me. She had been telling me I could achieve this, and I guess I proved her right!” Lauren joined the Young Marines the day she turned eight and is now in her ninth year in the program. She has faced many more challenges than her peers including being with- out a home while in the 4th and 5th grade. “At that time, the Young Marines was the only stable part of my life,” she said. “For me, it is much more than a youth program; it’s a lifestyle and a family.” Loria developed a pas- sion for teaching other Young Marines and being a part of a team.“Since I first joined the program I have been teaching other kids, especially ones that have a harder time learning,” she said.“I find new ways to improve comprehension.Watch- ing Young Marines that I have taught is very rewarding, and it is truly the reason why I have put my faith and heart into this program.” “When you hear her story, you realize YM/SgtMaj Loria is the personification of what makes the Young Marines pro- gram so powerful,” said Col Bill Davis USMC (Ret),Young Ma- rines National Executive Director. “She has demonstrated perseverance over all these years as well as leadership at multiple levels now to include being the national represen- tative of all our Young Marines. I know she will do very well especially given her passion for mentoring the youth in the program. Her dedication really shines through.” Last March, as Division 2 Young Marine of the Year, Loria escorted WWII veterans to the annual Reunion of Honor trip to Guam and Iwo Jima.“The trip to Guam was extraordinary with the culture and the historic sites, but Iwo Jima was something different,” Loria said. “It was humbling yet excit- ing, somber yet hopeful.The Reunion of Honor was an event where two nations came together to mourn a horrific battle and to swear to never allow it to happen again.” Loria received the Commendation of Merit for an out- standing job as 1st Sgt during Division 2’s Frozen Chosen event. She also earned a Distinguished Order of Merit for completing a two-year bench dedication project, now located in Eleanor C. Lawrence Park, in honor of Col Wesley Fox. In addition, Loria has been entered in the Con- gressional Record for her numerous commu- nity service hours. Outside of Young Marines, Loria plays soc- cer and enjoys working on cars. In addition, she paints and spends time with her iguana, Hugo. Her goals after high school are to apply for a motorsports scholarship to the University of Northwestern Ohio where she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in automotive technol- ogy for high performance vehicles and later, transfer to the Universal Technical Institute in California to get a certificate in Auto Collision. “The Young Marines definitely helped me identify a career,” she said. “I believe I have the leadership skills and confi- dence to pursue it.” As National Young Marine of the Year, Loria will travel throughout the country representing the Young Marines,and she will be a mentor to youth members of the organization. “I am very excited to meet Young Marines from all across the country,” she said. “I want to make a lasting impact. I want to show them all the opportunities that the Young Marines give. I would also like to inspire the female Young Marines that this is as much a girls’ club as a boys’ club. If I only inspire one Young Marine, I will consider my mission a success.” National Young Marine of the Year, YM/SgtMaj Lauren Loria. Above: ALC Welcome and Opening remarks from Young Marines National Executive Director, Col. Bill Davis. Right: San Antonio Young Marines Color Guard, YM/ LCpl Guadalupe Calderon, YM/ Sgt. Jacob Tatsch,YM/ LCpl Hayden Phillips and YM/Pvt Dominic Negron. 4 Young Marines Esprit ONLINE