FORT KNOX, Ky. —  Cadet Dorna Zolfaghari, assigned to Bravo Company, 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp, from Virginia Tech, has dreams that exceed her summer at Cadet Summer Training — and yet, her time here at CST has only encouraged her to push through and fulfill those goals.

Now, as she prepares to depart from Fort Knox, she can look back on her time here and see CST for what it really was to her — a blessing in disguise.

“I figured out that it takes a team to accomplish a lot of things that you might think that you can do by yourself, but you can not,” Zolfaghari said.

But as her time here comes to an end, she can reflect on her experiences and see what, exactly, she learned from all of the training exercises, obstacle courses and cadre members she encountered this summer.

Ultimately, her one takeaway is simple — to give it her all, even if she does not want to.

“Put in 100% effort, even when you feel like it is 50%. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and you are building history,” Zolfaghari said. “You are building a legacy. Just give it 100%, even when you feel like you do not want to.”

Zolfaghari knew from a young age that she wanted to join the Army. Her grandpa served in the Army, and he passed those values down to her throughout her life. However, the Army is not the only path that calls out to her.

For as long as she can remember, she has always dreamed of becoming a doctor, too.

“I envision myself commissioning into medical services, continuing my education, becoming a doctor and then hopefully working for the Army,” Zolfaghari said. “I want to help people. I would love to pay it forward.”

Far down the road, after her military career comes to an end, she hopes to open a private practice and use her experience to help others who need it.

But for now, even though CST is over for her, her journey is not.

“I am exactly where I want to be right now,” Zolfaghari said.