The Tupper Lake native, who is now a lance corporal stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, has not wavered in pursuing his dream. While becoming a Marine in it of itself requires extensive amounts of grit, fortitude and discipline possessed by few, Farnsworth went above and beyond — even in the context of the United States Marine Corps.

Late Friday, his staff sergeant and sergeant major of the battalion called him. They informed Farnsworth that he had been chosen as Marine of the Quarter for the entire 1st Marine Division, in which he is enlisted. The 1st Division is the oldest and largest active duty division within the U.S. Marines, comprised of about 22,000 personnel operating under four regiments and five separate battalions.

Farnsworth, who was in the midst of a two-week training mission in the California desert, said being chosen Marine of the Quarter took nothing short of a full commitment to excellence.

“It took a lot of making myself available, always volunteering when the hard work needed to be done and nobody wanted to do it,” he said. “Always doing my best work, giving 100% of myself to the Marine Corps.”

Jayden Farnsworth, who grew up in Tupper Lake, wanted to be a U.S. Marine from a young age. (Provided photo — Jayden Farnsworth)

The award honors active duty Marines who have demonstrated exceptional performance of duty. The selection process is extremely competitive, given how stringent its requirements are and how large the 1st Division is. The process hinges on who is the most physically fit, has the best rifle range score and whose superior officers assess as the most proficient at their duties.

The criteria stretch beyond on-duty evaluation metrics. It also considers how many volunteer and education hours Marines have put in when they are off-duty.

Farnsworth takes on jobs that often include field operations and early-morning assignments. When it came to volunteering, Farnsworth said it extended to tasks during his on-duty hours, as well as when he was off-duty.

“Outside of work, I do a lot of volunteering,” he said. “I help coach younger kids for sports. I do concessions at local school events. I do a lot of just random volunteering events that come up.”

Farnsworth said being an avid reader was key to his selection. He said the Commandant of the Marine Corps has a list of books that he feels are beneficial for every Marine to read, reflect and learn from. With each book he read, Farnsworth completed a detailed report.

Jayden Farnsworth, who grew up in Tupper Lake, wanted to be a U.S. Marine from a young age. For his 10th birthday, he requested a cake with all of the military branches, which was made by his aunt, Kelly Fleury, of Tupper Lake. (Provided photo — Jayden Farnsworth)

The topics on the list are wide-ranging, according to Farnsworth. In addition to military strategy books, such as “The Art of War,” by Sun Tzu, he said much of the list is meant to make a better and stronger self.

“It’s a very wide range, but it’s stuff that, if you read it, you can really pull from yourself and learn strategy,” he said. “Mental strengths, personal adversity and how to overcome it — it’s just a very wide range of trying to build yourself as a person.”

Farnsworth, who is the son of Melissa Stearns and Chris Farnsworth, thanked his family for the steadfast support they offered him along the way.

“My parents and family always knew I wanted to be a Marine,” he said. “They were supportive from the get-go. There was no making it a hard situation for me. They were as supportive as could be. They never made it an issue. They never told me I couldn’t do it. It was always ‘We have your back 100%,’ and that shows what kind of people they are.”

Chris Farnsworth said that as Jayden grew up, he valued honesty, a hard work ethic and the determination to not give up when the going gets tough.

“As a father, my goodness, I couldn’t be any prouder,” he said. “He’s living his dream. He’s doing exactly what he’s always wanted to do.”

Melissa Stearns expressed similar sentiments.

“I am so incredibly proud of him,” she said. “Number one for the 1st Marine Division is a huge accomplishment.”

Even though Farnsworth had long expressed a desire to become a Marine, Stearns said the months leading up to him going to boot camp were nerve-wracking for her.

“Then the 12 weeks he was there were so unbelievably emotional,” she said. “So it just means a lot to know that he’s doing so well, and that he’s enjoying it.”

Stearns said her son’s personality helped make him the perfect candidate. She said that growing up, Farnsworth learned the importance of staying true to himself, respecting authority and striving to do his best at the endeavors he set his mind to — all qualities that she said helped him to win such a prestigious and competitive award.

“He was always hard-headed and determined as a child,” she said. “He always wanted to be number one. He’s very, very physically strong and he’s very mentally strong.”

Stearns added that a love of reading and understanding military history and strategy is nothing new for Farnsworth.

“He wrote a book report on World War II in fourth or fifth grade — and it wasn’t even an assignment, he just did it,” she said.

Farnsworth said that in addition to his family, he draws an immense amount of support from his fellow Marines, something that made him want to be one in the first place.

“There’s just something about the discipline, the order, the brotherhood — it really drew me in,” he said. “The Marine Corps is just the best, there’s nothing anyone can say about that.”

Farnsworth said the bonds are established through the shared adversity Marines encounter from the moment they enter boot camp. As difficult as it is to deal with, knowing that another Marine is going through the same exact pain and suffering as well made it a bit easier to get through, he said.

“There’s no tighter bond than two Marines,” Farnsworth said.