FORT KNOX, Ky.- Being the first one to take action can be challenging, especially when you’re the first person to jump off a 64-foot Rappel Tower. Cadet Analena Guerrero assigned to 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp, has a fear of heights, yet was the first cadet to execute the task for her company.

“They always tell us to have personal courage,” Guerrero said.  “I just kept thinking about that while I was going down and I finished it.”

While she needed courage for herself, she also felt like she had to be brave for her fellow cadets. This inspired her to lead by example and take the first leap down the tower. As the cadets in her squad cheered for her, she reciprocated the same attitude creating morale for the team.

However, it is not only the cadets in her company Guerrero has been brave for. Guerrero is used to being first throughout her life. Guerrero is the oldest sibling in her family with five younger sisters, while also being the first person in the family to graduate high school, go to college and now join the Army.

“While I’m really just doing this for me, I am just trying to make my family proud and people back home proud,” Guerrero said. “It’s a lot of pressure but at the same time I’m glad that I get to lead by example and show them that you can get out of that little small town and chase your dreams.”

Guerrero’s dream is to be a military police officer after graduation. To reach that goal she is currently studying criminal justice with a minor in victim studies. Guerrero chose this as her career because she said she wants to help others.

Guerrero’s last name means warrior in Spanish, and by being the first example for both her fellow cadets and family, she said this gives her confidence to be a future leader.

“I joined the military to do something bigger than myself,” Guerrero said. “You’re helping other people as a team, like a family.”