Fort Knox, KY. – As the morning downpour eased up, Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp march towards the 64-foot-tall Rappel Tower to face their fears during Cadet Summer Training (CST).

Cadet Merasha Henry-Bernard, Bowie State University, took on the Tower today, choosing to push past her fear and repeat a vital phrase to herself.

“My one thing that I live by is if you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” Henry-Bernard explained.

The famous quote came from Eric Thomas, a motivational speaker, after her high school basketball coach introduced her to his messages.

Along with this, Henry-Bernard’s coach embedded crucial skills that would stick with her for years to come.

“It showed me my mental toughness and that mental agility, that physical ability to get things done,” Henry-Bernard explained.

After her time in high school came to an end, she found that the Army was a great fit with the work ethic she found through basketball.

Serving for a total of 12 years, she found clear purpose working in the Army and even encouraging others around her to look the possibility of service.

“I have two sisters. I have a 14-year-old sister, I’m trying to get her into JROTC [Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps] as well. And my [older] sister, she is a retired veteran. We kind of joined at the same time, but she did med board.”

Being the first generation in both the Army and College, Henry-Bernard aims to be a good example for the Cadets in her platoon and her family back home.

Eventually getting into the Green to Gold program, she was brought to CST to continue her career with the army. While here, her family at home helps inspire her to give it her all.

“I put my faith first. Then I continue on as I want to pave that way for my family and continue my service. Being able to inspire people within my family and friends” She explained.

While in CST, she also relies on the Cadre around her to teach and refine the skills she brought to Fort Knox this summer, especially on an event as difficult as the Rappel Tower.

Cadre work to provide clear instruction and build a relationship based on trust with the Cadets. Henry-Bernard found that this relationship helped her work through the challenge but also made her a better soldier.

“It’s good to look up to them,” Henry-Bernard said, “I’m soaking everything in as I’m also able to push out information for [my fellow] cadets to learn. So, it’s a give and take situation that I truly appreciate.”

With the motivation from Eric Thomas, the support from Cadre at CST and the encouragement from her family back home, Cadet Merasha Henry-Bernard continues onward, taking on any challenges in her way.