In the farm lands of Gordon, Texas, there is a family that has dedicated their life to the rodeo. They spend much of their time preparing for events like bull riding, team roping, and breakaway roping to compete around the nation. Kealey Dent grew up in this family. She trained with her family and put her best foot forward in all she did. When she graduated high school, she was the valedictorian, received an associate degree in liberal arts, played on the Junior USA Volleyball Team, and was one of the top three liberos in the nation for two years.
However, growing up in a family with a competitive lifestyle meant she faced criticism and high standards all of her life. This mindset made Dent feel like she could never be good enough. After high school, she was accepted to Texas A&M University and prepared for her new life as a college student, but a few weeks before moving into her college dorm, the phone rang.
“I got a call from a Marine Corps recruiter; something told me it was right,” Dent said. “It was the only choice that would put me in complete control of my life.”
Although she received a lot of negative feedback from her hometown community, she changed her plans of being a college student to becoming a U.S. Marine. Dent left her hometown and graduated boot camp
as the honor graduate, meritoriously earning the rank of lance corporal. She…
