FORT KNOX, Ky.,—Sweat dripped from his nose onto the barrel of his M4 carbine. The bead rolled down, dampening the brush he was hiding behind. Thick air and sore legs trapped the Cadet. Still, he willed himself upwards, crouching while scanning his sector of fire for opposing forces.

Cadet Demetrius Pritchett, San Diego State University, 1st Regiment, Basic Camp, had learned to grit his teeth through both physical and mental exhaustion during a Cadet Summer Training Field Training Exercise on Fort Knox, Ky., July 16, 2025. Beneath the sweltering sun, he wasn’t just practicing tactics—he was proving that persistence is more than endurance—it’s a mindset. With each step and every decision, Pritchett echoed the battles he had already fought to get here.

The transition into adult life was not easy for him. Distracted by outside influences, he finished his first year of college on academic probation. Enrolling in Army ROTC gave him discipline and direction. With each exercise, Pritchett said, he is becoming more confident.

“I came here trying to make a better leader of myself,” he said. “I’ve become more secure in myself and my abilities.”

The trait Pritchett was searching for in himself was the one he admired most in his role model—his mother. He described his mother as the hardest worker in his life. Moving from Florida to San Diego with nothing but her car, she uprooted her own life to provide her son more stability.

“She built (our life) from the ground up while supporting me,” Pritchett said. “She did it all by herself, she never gave up. She made it happen even when it seemed impossible.”

Pritchett aims to motivate his fellow Cadets to push through tough times, just like his mother modeled for him. The best way, he said, is to keep on keeping on.

“When I see people out here who don’t have the motivation or don’t believe in themselves, I feel like I need to show them they can do it,” he said. “God gave me an able body and the skillset. If I can help the person to the left or right of me, I should do it.”

Although Pritchett continues to work hard in every exercise, there are times he feels like giving up. One week in particular, the Kentucky weather caused multiple heat casualties, slowing down training. With his energy drained from the heat, Pritchett felt unmotivated and exhausted.

“I considered going home,” he said. “But I’ve come too far. I’d be selling myself short if I went home after one bad week.”

Pritchett stated many skills needed to succeed in Basic Camp do not come naturally to him. Still, he continued to push harder until he had mastered them.

“You have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run,” he said. “The more repetitions you get in the better you’ll be when the time comes to perform.”

Through consistent effort, Pritchett has proved that success is progress, not results.

“No one gets it right the first time,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you start. It matters that you pick yourself back up and keep pushing.”

Pritchett’s sweat still fell, marking the path of someone who kept rising even when every part of him begged to stay low.