FORT KNOX Ky.,- Born as fireworks lit the Colorado sky on July 4th, Cadet Liberty Bell, University of Washington, assigned to 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp, was destined to shine just as brightly.

Growing up just south of Denver in Centennial, Colorado, gave Bell a deep appreciation for nature and enjoyment in spending her days outdoors, whether that be skiing on a mountain side or hiking a trail with family and friends.

“My parents are really big hikers and my dad’s a big skier because he grew up in Utah,” Bell said. “They got me into (hiking and skiing) and kind of inspired my passion of being outdoors.”

That wasn’t the only thing her parents gave to her. They also imparted the ideals of hard work and good character.

Looking up to her parents as life role models, Bell believes in the benefits of good leadership, and she was always trying to find ways to emulate their inner strength.

“Both of my parents stepped into whatever leadership roles were given to them,” she said. “My dad definitely played more into that people (first) leadership. He always talked me through leadership, research and admitting when you were wrong.”

Her mom was one of the biggest role models for Bell, juggling a career and still being available for her children. Bell remembers that her mom was the one to always drive her to school and never missed a single sporting event even as she worked a full-time job.

“She started law school when my sisters were young and then graduated and became a partner of her law firm,” she said. “It’s the same idea of leadership but she’s also really great as an individual. She pushes herself beyond the limits.”

Bell knew this was the way she wanted to live her life, pushing herself beyond the limits and using her leadership capabilities to help others.

But as many people know, the correct path is rarely a straight line, and for Bell it was no different.

Her home life had always involved the military in some form, with both her dad and older sister enlisted in the Air Force. Even Bell’s swim meets were held at the Air Force Academy nearby. Yet, she was hesitant to enlist, wanting to focus on her academic career.

“I definitely fought back with my dad a lot when he was pushing me to go into the military throughout high school,” she said. “Then I started going through the process of applying to academies…and then I learned that the ROTC route offered me both the military academy lifestyle as well as a normal college career.”

Only instead of enlisting in the Air Force, Bell decided to take a different route and joined the Army ROTC program, gravitating towards the closeness and community she found there.

“It was kind of like, ‘oh, this is where you meet your people. This is where you build those connections’,” Bell said. “I like working with individuals, I like leading people and so I thought the Army offered the best perspective.”

The last curve in Bell’s path was when she had to make the decision of where she wanted to branch in the Army.

In the beginning, she was studying to join the medical field but as she spent more time studying and working for her local ski patrol, Bell realized that medicine was not what truly gave her purpose.

“I really thought medicine was going to be the route I chose,” she said. “But the more I studied medicine in college, the more I realized it wasn’t the medicine that was satisfying but helping people and individuals.”

Now, she sees herself branching into combat engineering and studying further to go into international law, two subjects she finds fun and challenging while still being able to help make a difference.

“The more I looked into engineers, the more people I talked to, this kind of seemed like it checked all of my boxes as well as giving me more technical abilities,” she said. “I like getting my hands dirty and it just felt right.”

With her career path set straight, the only hurdle left for Bell is Cadet Summer Training, 36 days being the only thing separating her from her ability to commission and start her dream goals.

The days are long and the Kentucky heat beats down relentlessly, but with her battle buddies always by her side, there is no obstacle at CST that she cannot tackle.

“I’ve known these people for 19 days, and I think I know them more than any of my friends back home,” she said, “I have this image built in my mind of all these people that the people in my platoon have described, whether it’s their parents, dogs or siblings and getting to meet them at graduation is really pushing us through.”

These unshakable bonds created with people she has known less than a month have bolstered her spirits, letting her know that no matter where the Soldiers come from, they all share a goal. They are all a family.

“When you put on the uniform, none of that matters,” Bell said. “It doesn’t matter where you grew up, where you came from, your hobbies, your interests. It just goes down to your core personality and your core person.”

Through every hardship and struggle, Bell grows stronger as an individual and leader, becoming the person her parents encouraged her to be.

“I think I can make a change and a difference,” Bell said. “That’s the number one thing that I’ve always wanted to do.”