Youth member of the Young Marines, YM/Cpl Mackenzie Ayriss, from Clarkston, was named Honor Graduate of the Young Marines’ Junior Leadership School at the National Leadership Academy held in Warrenton, Ore., over the summer.
Ayriss is a member of the Lapeer County Young Marines, based in Lapeer. 
The Young Marines is a national youth leadership and service program for boys and girls aged eight through high school graduation. The leadership academy focuses on teaching Young Marines leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline. 
Ayriss trained for a week to become a better leader alongside Young Marines from across the country. After physical and written tests, leadership classes, and close order drill, she was selected as the Honor Graduate of the Junior Leadership School. 
“The National Leadership Academy is the highest level of leadership training offered by the Young Marines,” said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. “YM/Cpl Ayriss will take her new leadership skills back to the Lapeer County Young Marines and her community.” 
Ayriss joined the Young Marines in 2019 and has been in the program for two years. She was invited to the NLA because of her dependability, motivation, and her ability to place others’ needs before her own. 
“The Young Marines program has taught me how to be patient, how to communicate effectively, and how to absorb information,” Ayriss said. “I was able to work with other motivated young leaders who are also striving to become better individuals.” 
Ayriss is a senior at Clarkston High School. She plans to go to college to study Criminal Justice or Liberal Arts.  
The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501 (c)(3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through the completion of high school. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. 
Since the Young Marines began in 1959, the organization has grown to over 235 units with 7,500 youth and 2,500 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and affiliates in a host of other countries.