Fort Knox, Ky.,—Although the warm sun pricked her skin, she had to force her hands to steady. Grip, twist, pull. She ran through the routine, feeling her pulse reverberate off the cool metal. She scanned the field and zeroed in on her target, quickly releasing the weight from her tight grip. A rewarding pop from the detonated practice grenade echoed and her breathing slowed, satisfied with her throw.

At the Hand Grenade Assault Course during Cadet Summer Training, July 20, 2025, pressure comes from more than the weight of the practice explosive in the Cadets’ hands. For Cadet Ella Sackey, Temple University, 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, the challenge was internal. She had to let go of her fear of failure and learn to move forward when things didn’t work out on the first try.

Despite being enrolled in Advanced Camp, Sackey is relatively new to the Army. She wasn’t in JROTC, nor did she spend her high school years preparing for the military. Instead, she stayed tucked inside books. Growing up in a small town outside of Philadelphia, PA with a thirst for knowledge, reading was her outlet for adventure.

“All throughout high school, I was shy and stuck to reading and writing,” Sackey said. “That’s where my love for communications and journalism came from. Where I grew up there was only so much to do, to explore. The only way for me to learn new things was through literature, so that’s what I stuck to. While reading is nice, it kept me in my shell.”

Determined to make her way out of Philadelphia, Sackey became increasingly tough on herself. She struggled with equating mistakes to weakness.

“I’m definitely a perfectionist,” she said. “I like things to be done a certain way. I want to do well, and I want a good grade. Even here, it is nerve wracking for me with each new event. I want to do well and I want to pass.”

After joining Army ROTC during her Sophomore year in college, Sackey was forced to redefine success.

“The Army’s standards are excellence and proficiency,” she said. In a way it has made me more self-aware about reaching my full potential. Perfection isn’t success on the first go. Practice makes perfect; Nobody is an expert on their first try.”

The Hand Grenade Assault Course, specifically, showed Sackey the power of persistence.

“I didn’t hit any of them (targets) my first try,” she said. “I was nervous, and they kept slipping out of my hand.”

Sackey refused to let this misstep define her. The second throw felt different: fluid, focused, and targeted. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t need to be. Through repetition and encouragement, Ella adopted a new mindset—failure wasn’t final, it was a part of the process.

When the pressure to perform returns, she grounds herself with strategies taught to her by Cadre. Whether she is practicing deep breathing or communicating with her Chaplain, Sackey has steps in place to regain her confidence. She repeats “It’s a bad day to be a target” before tests and qualifications to flip fear into focus.

She also leans on the relationships she has built at Advanced Camp. Her fellow female Cadets, she said, have been her number one support system.

“Processing, being in the barracks together, going to chow—it’s the little moments that make the biggest difference,” she said. “I’ve made so many friends, and it’s only week two.”

Now she writes about her own adventures, living through the action she once read about.

“Younger me would think I’m crazy,” Sackey said. “She wouldn’t ever picture herself throwing grenades in a military uniform. This is unbelievable.”

Sackey found success—not because she’s perfect, but because she’s willing to try again.