This week, Lapeer High School sophomore Isabella Benson was featured in the Lapeer County Press. The 15 year old is a total boss, having recently been named both battalion and regimental Young Marine of the Year.

Please take a few minutes to read the entire feature story by Krystal Moralee. In it, you can learn all about this incredible young woman as well as the Young Marines program.

There are a few misconceptions about Young Marines, Benson said. People think it’s a recruiting strategy and that members are required to enlist, but that’s not true. It’s also not all military training or physical training. Rather, she said, it’s all about giving the members tools that will help them throughout their lives and relationships. However, if you reach the rank of sergeant in the Young Marines and do join the Marines or the Navy, you will receive an honorary promotion after boot camp to private first class.

Benson said she gets personal satisfaction from doing things that have an impact on other Young Marines as well as her community. She has attended leadership schools where she got to build relationships with other Young Marines and help instill the core values of teamwork, leadership, and discipline. She has attended a number of encampments and training schools where she learns life skills, such as time management, and has had the opportunity to meet some higher-ups in the Marines on one of her trips to Washington DC.

The Lapeer County Press, November 3, 2021

We are incredibly proud of Isabella and her accomplishments! Her future is bright!