FORT KNOX, Ky — From when they are Cadets, all the way until they earn their commission in the United States Army, everyone wants to stand out, whether it be academically, physically or mentally. For Cadet Salieu Ballah, assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp from Hood College, a small school in Frederick, Maryland, he does everything he can to try and be in the top 1% of everything that he does.

But his ambitions and goals come with challenges of their own.

Ever since his grandma got sick and had to be rushed to the hospital when he was younger, Ballah knew that he wanted to help as many people as he could. He remembers feeling completely hopeless in that moment as he reminisced on how there was nothing that he could do for his family, and ever since that day, he knew he had found his calling in life.

“I told myself that day that I always want to be in a position where I could offer help to people that are in need,” Ballah said. 

However, due to the fact that he goes to such a small-scale college, Ballah constantly finds himself fighting to stand out due to various factors.

“In my class, we only have four to three boys, and 95% of the class is girls,” Ballah said. “So, [with] me being a nursing student, and me also being Black — especially the only Black boy in my class — I feel like [I am] always try[ing] to stand out. I feel like I always try to stand out [and] be that 1% [in] everything I do.”

But his inspiration to join ROTC was sparked by something else entirely — the price of the education that he wanted to pursue.

Being the oldest of five children, Ballah knew that he did not want to have to pay to attend college. This desire was not just for himself, but mostly for his family, too. Keeping in mind that his mom and dad would still need to take care of his four younger siblings, Ballah was determined to take some of the weight off of his parents’ shoulders. 

“I knew nursing school was going to be so expensive, and I did not want to put that burden on them,” Ballah said. “That is why I decided to join the military and do ROTC, and then try to fund for college myself without putting that stress on them.”

With the hope of one day being a nurse in either pediatric, psych or emergency, due to his love for adrenaline, children and a fast-paced environment, or a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with his own clinic after getting his nurse practitioner license in the future, Ballah has one thing to say when it comes to chasing after your goals.

“If you are out there, and you have a dream, just keep chasing it,” he said. “And never give up.”