Spotting a plume of black smoke furling from a building off Black Mountain Road near Poway last year, 14-year-old Sophia Righthouse knew it was a structure fire. And she knew what to do. The Rancho Penasquitos teen asked her dad to pull over. She jumped out with him and started knocking on doors
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The Young Marines, a national youth organization, named Susan M. Righthouse the National Adult Volunteer of the Year. She is the executive officer with the Miramar Young Marines in San Diego. The announcement was made at the annual Young Marines Adult Leaders Conference held May 8, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Righthouse volunteered more than 6,000 community service hours through the Young Marines. During the pandemic, she and her unit created a successful virtual program to keep Young Marines engaged and motivated. The unit offered online classes to more than 1,300 Young Marines from 46 units across the country. I am a volunteer at heart and always want to give back to my community, she said. I like what the Young Marines is about, and I like watching Young Marines grow through the years. Their A-HA moments are particularly gratifying.
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During her 30 years as a San Diego police detective, Susan Righthouse kept an eye out for kids in trouble. On patrol assignments she listened for radio calls coming in about kids who might be in harm’s way, especially through domestic violence calls. Helping kids in trouble became her mission. But more recently, Righthouse set her mind on helping kids before they get in trouble.
She joined the local Miramar unit of the Young Marines as a volunteer eight years ago and has been helping steer youths to healthy, productive lives, without drugs.
More than 6,000 volunteer hours later, Righthouse was named National Adult Volunteer of the Year for the Young Marines group, headquartered in Dumfries, Va.
UpdatedMon, Apr 19, 2021 at 7:04 am PT
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Some people are volunteers at heart. Susan M. Righthouse of San Diego, California is one of those people. So much so, in fact, that for National Volunteer Week – April 18 – 24, the Young Marines has declared her the Adult Volunteer of the Year for Division 6. This division includes eight states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
The Young Marines is a national youth education and service program for boys and girls, age 8 through the completion of high school. It promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on character building, leadership, and a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.