Mosley High School Graduate Joins Marines

How did you spend your summer? Did you go to the beach? Did you visit family? Did you go on an exotic vacation? Kayla Cassel, a recent graduate of Mosley High School, did none of those things this summer. Instead she went to Parris; well actually, Parris Island. She graduated high school on May 24th, 2023, and by May 30th, 2023, she was on an airplane to Marine Corp Recruit Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina. For the next 13 weeks, Kayla would learn what it takes to become a United States Marine.

Marine Corp boot camp is the Armed Forces most challenging boot camp, designed to rebuild recruits into what is required by the Marine Corp. Everyone who enters the Marine Corp, first learns to be a soldier in addition to their Military Operational Specialty or MOS. Approximately 86 females started boot camp with Kayla. Of these women, only about 57 finished. The training is not easy. It is both mentally and physically challenging. It requires learning combat skills, discipline, attention to detail, team building, and much more. Kayla, already an athlete, returned home after boot camp three clothing sizes smaller but much stronger than when she left. She said,” you don’t realize it's happening, but you do so many physical things throughout the training, you just change.” Kayla can take apart and reassemble an M-16 in the dark. She can lift and carry a fellow marine, fireman carry style, out of harm's way.

When asked what helped her the most to succeed in such a challenging environment, Kayla replied without hesitation, “Marine Corp JROTC at Mosley High School.” She said that her two instructors, Master Sergeants Hicks and Piccolo, were extremely inspirational and properly prepared her for boot camp. She has been assigned the MOS of Aviation Operations. She is attending her MOS school now in South Carolina, and should receive her follow-on orders very soon.

Kayla is one of two twins adopted from Haiti by Kathy and Richard Cassel in 2010. Her twin brother, whom she is very close to, currently attends school at Gulf Coast State College. She has three other siblings still in Haiti and seven siblings here in the United States.

As a positive person, Kayla continually looked for the good part of every situation in boot camp. When asked what she would say to people who follow in her footsteps, Kayla said, "Keep pushing yourself, and always remember your reasons for being there.”

Kayla is an incredible person with amazing military bearing. She is a poster child for the Marine Corp. Consequently, she received two weeks of recruiting duty after boot camp that allowed her to spend some time at home with her family. She is now an inspirational Marine just like Master Sergeants Hicks and Piccolo. Well done Mosley High School! Great Job Kayla!