Faith Leach '23 Recruiting Profile

To Whom This May Concern: 

My name is Faith Leach, and I am seventeen years old. I am a senior in high school and attend dual credit classes with Dallas College, where I have straight A's. After graduating high school, I hope to attend Texas A&M and be a part of the Corps of Cadets. The future career field that I desire to go into is an Orthopedic Surgeon.

On top of school, I also partake in many extracurricular activities. One of my extracurricular activities includes the Young Marines of the Marine Corps League, Inc. The Young Marines is a national non-profit youth education and service program for boys and girls, ages eight through the completion of high school. The Young Marines promote the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. This program also focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. The Young Marines strengthen the lives of America’s youth by teaching the importance of self-confidence, academic achievement, honoring our veterans, good citizenship, community service, and living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. The program focuses on character building and leadership and promotes a lifestyle that is conducive to becoming productive members of society. 

Three years ago, I completed recruit training at the top of my class. This allowed me to be the honor graduate for my class, meaning I excelled in all graded categories including but not limited to physical training, knowledge, and close order drill. Due to this, I was meritoriously promoted to Private First-Class immediately upon graduating from recruit training. I quickly promoted to Young Marine (YM)Lance Corporal and not even a year after becoming a Young Marine, I was promoted to YM Corporal and attended Junior Leadership School (JLS) in Georgia. At JLS, I was given my first, true introduction to what it takes to be a leader. This school brought youth together from around the country to give us the baseline we needed on leading other Young Marines. I was able to graduate 2nd in the class and earned the Iron Molly award for having the highest female physical fitness test. I loved the opportunity that JLS offered and quickly worked my way to up attending Senior Leadership School (SLS). SLS built on what I learned at JLS but took it to a whole new level with new challenges. I was the honor graduate of SLS along with the Iron Molly recipient again, and I impressed my Division Commander so much that she meritoriously promoted me to YM Gunnery Sergeant. Ensuring I would be eligible to attend Advanced Leadership School (ALS) at the next opportunity, where they expected me to perform with high honors. ALS is the premier leadership school offered by the Young Marines; youth members travel from around the world to attend this multi week event in Oregon. I attended ALS this past summer and discovered how highly competitive and challenging it was firsthand. ALS brought together all the principles that we had learned from JLS and SLS and gave us the chance to put them into practice, by teaching and instructing youth participating in other schools. The pressure and importance that is placed on the graduates was immense. The top 10 graduates each year are brought together before the program's National Director and Executive Board in Washington, DC. to offer insight and suggestions on how the program is being run and what can be improved upon. I was awarded the distinguished graduate ribbon by graduating 2nd place in the school and look forward to providing my thoughts on how the Young Marines can be made even better. What I have learned while in the Young Marines has been instrumental into shaping me into the person I am today. With my final year in the program on the horizon, I look forward to earning the YM Master Gunnery Sergeant rank, the highest rake attainable in the program, and to further teaching other Young Marines about leadership, to make the program even better for others. 

I have also earned many awards and ribbons during my time with the Young Marines. Each ribbon earned required me to meet eligibility requirements and criteria. Many of the awards I have earned multiple times such as the Community Service ribbon with two silver stars and one bronze star (12 awards) for having over 600 hours of community service within the past 3 years alone. Another award I have earned is the Community Leadership ribbon with four bronze stars (4 awards) because of the leadership roles I have taken on within the community, including being the Sergeant at Arms (Associate Member) for the Rose City Marine Corps League Detachment 1354.I have also earned the Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) ribbon with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) device, a nationally recognized award. I earned this ribbon because of all the drug demand reductions classes I have taught to youth within our community, including local schools, sport organizations, and Boy Scout Troops. The DEA device for the DDR ribbon was awarded and recognized by the DEA for my involvement of teaching Americas youth about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in our community, how to say no effectively, and get out of the dangerous situation. I was also awarded the Unit Young Marine of the Year Award, for my outstanding performance for going above and beyond within the unit during 2021 and 2022. The highest ribbon I have earned and been awarded so far is the Lifesaving 3rd Degree ribbon. I earned this ribbon for not only rescuing a litter of abandoned kittens, but I also got them lifesaving medical treatment at zero cost to the families that adopted them. All kittens were quickly adopted and went home as soon as they received a clean bill of health. Most recently I have been nominated to receive another Lifesaving award for my actions in saving the life of a fellow Young Marine and getting her medical attention after she overdosed on over the counter medication. Along with that ribbon I am also being considered for the Distinguished Service award, the highest obtainable award Young Marines offers, for my extraordinary and dedicated leadership at a weeklong Young Marines encampment. Each ribbon and award I have earned reminds me of the difference I am making for others and how I am living up to my potential. It has helped me strive to go higher than I ever thought I could go. And I know these distinguished marks have only helped me to set a strong foundation for my future. 

On top of that, I also play sports with Kings Academy and FC Dallas ETX. With Kings Academy, I have been on the Varsity Track, Cross Country, and Basketball teams for the past several years. In Cross Country, I placed first in the state in ninth grade and have medaled every year since. I also play on an FC Dallas club soccer team where we play competitive games in the Plano, TX league. I have been playing soccer since I was four years old and love being on the field so much that I work part time as a soccer referee and enjoy making the games safe and fair for other players across East Texas. 

In my free time, I enjoy doing many things from reading books to building Legos with my younger brother. For the past two years, I have gotten the gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award. I have accumulated over 600 hours of community service mostly assisting Toys for Tots, the ETX Food Bank, and fallen officers. I have been elected as the Health and Safety Officer for the 4-H shooting team, for the past two years and responsible for the overall safety of the participants while they are on the range. Finally, I am also the Sergeant at Arms for the Rose City Marine Corps League, were I help set up the meeting room, present the American flag, lead the pledge of allegiance, and ensure everyone at the meeting is eligible to attend. 

Overall, I enjoy being very active in various things within my community. From dual credit classes to being active in my community both in Young Marines and in doing community service, I learn new things, grow as a person, set the example for others, and greatly appreciate helping others in making my community a better place to live. Hopefully, the small footprints I leave behind in this world will impact others choices and lives for the better