KILLEEN, Texas — From living through a nation in civil war as a child, in the region of West Africa gripped in conflict a Texas A&M-Central Texas student found his calling through a VISA to not only come to the US, but to serve its people.
Mamoud Kamara lived with his brothers and mother in the country attending non-governmental organization sponsored schools in the evenings and running errands during the day to keep afloat. He eventually learned English and was eager for the next opportunity to further his education.
After completing his second year of higher education, he learned of the VISA lottery from his brother and applied for a chance to enter the United States and became a citizen.
"Before I even came to the United States my cousin, who was living here and helped me buy a ticket, told me 'I know you're someone who likes going to school, you like order, you should get your degree,'" Kamara said.
It was his cousin who told Kamara about the opportunity to join the military and have them supplement the tuition costs.
Kamara arrived in the US in 2018 in Maryland, got a state issued ID card and enrolled by November where he met an Army recruiter. Just a few months later he was shipped off to Georgia for basic training.
Kamara would complete the basic training at Fort Jackson and graduated AIT in Fort Lee number one in his class, where he met two mentors who pushed him to pursue the Army's Green to Gold Program.
"It was way too cold in Maryland and they told me Texas was warm so I chose to come here," Kamara said.
Kamara would enroll in TAMU-CT in 2022 and became an ROTC cadet. As a computer information systems major, Kamara also became a candidate for commission for second lieutenant this spring.
"The army itself has great opportunity to help soldiers, a program to help people navigate through life," Kamara said.
Learning, growing, working and training day in and day out, at times before the sun is even shining, Kamara has been juggling classes, a family and the pursuit of a dream for the past two years. And come Friday, he along with 25 other cadets will see a dream through to the end.
"I cherish the opportunity that's in there," Kamara said. "I believe the military, all of the branches have the same opportunity. They have free college, free medical health for you and your family and for me personally those are the opportunities that will make me stay in for 20 years and above."
Kamara's commissioning ceremony will be held May 10 at 10 a.m. at the Killeen Civic Center and he along with all other cadets have been selected for active duty.