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ESPRITPage3FromOur2013YoungMarineoftheYearYoungMarinesTakeAdvantageofLeadershipSchoolOpportunitiesByYMSgtMajDakotaRichterNationalYoungMarineoftheYear2013-2014AsYoungMarinesoneofourthreecorevaluesisLeadership.Nowhereinourprogramisthereisanoppor-tunitytofurtheryourselfasaleadermoresothanatoneofourregionaldivisionalornationalLeadershipSchoolsontheJuniorSeniorandAdvancedlevels.Onaregionalanddivisionallev-elJuniorLeadershipSchoolsJLSarefoundallacrossthecountryallthroughouttheyear.YoungMarineLanceCorporalsandCorporalseligibleneedtoseizethisopportunityassoonaspossibleinordertomeetrequirementsforfu-turerankaswellasawards.Moresothanthatthisistheear-liestopportunitytoreceivenation-ally-mandatedleadershiptrainingoutsideofrecruittraining.ThiswillbenetnotonlyyouasaYoungMa-rinebutyourunitaswell.AssomeonewhoattendedallthreeofherschoolsontheNationallev-elImayhaveaslightbiasbutassomeonewhohasinstructedschoolsatalllevelsIrmlybelievethatforSeniorLeadershipSchoolSLSyourbestexperiencewillbefoundatthehighestlevel.Attendingtheone-weekNationalSLSallowsYoungMarinesfromacrossthenationtoconnectwiththeirpeersaswellasAdultStaffthatmayserveasbenecialconnectionsfortheyearstocome.AdvancedLeadershipSchoolALSnotdespiteofbutbecauseofthechallengesitpresentedbecamethebesttwoweeksofmycareerintheYoungMarinessofar.Thegatheringofourprogramsftybestandbrightestleadersisapow-erfuleventandonethateveryYoungMarineshouldstrivetoexperience.Sign-upsforboththeNationalSeniorandAdvancedLeadershipSchoolswhicharemadepossibleinlargeparttothegraciousdonationfromGlocktakeplaceannuallyinearlyJanuary.Icanpersonallyguaranteethatthissum-mersNationalLeadershipAcademiescon-tainmanymajornecessaryimprovements.RemainalerttoupdatesinthecalendartonddatesforJLSandkeepinmindthatyouarenotconnedtoyourregionorevenyourdivisionwhenattendingtheseschools.AsanALSgraduatebeingabletoleadasaYoungMarineStaffmemberonanyoftheselevelsisaprivilegeandanamazingexperi-encethatshouldnotbetakenforgranted.Foradivisionalorregionalschoolsimplycontactthatschoolsdirectorforinquiriesconcerningstaffpositions.IstronglyadviseeachandeveryYoungMa-rinetoconsidertakingpartinoneoftheseLeadershipSchoolsinthenearfuturetobetternotonlyyourselfbutyourunitandourprogramasawhole.AsanAdvancedLeadershipSchoolGraduatebeingabletoleadasaYoungMarineStaffmemberisaprivilegeandanamazingexperiencethatshouldnotbetakenforgranted.Somememorablescenesas2013NationalYoungMarineoftheYear.YMSgtMajDakotaRichterspeakingatthe2013AdultLeadersConferenceatPearlHarborMemorialactivitiesinHawaiiandparticipatinginalocalradiostationseventbackhomeinKentucky.