LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — On this Fourth of July, a University of Kentucky graduate thinks about the sacrifices her father made for our country.
Madison Roussel lost her father, Kenneth, in the line of duty when she was just six years old.
"My dad, he was in the U.S. Army," Madison said. "He was a Staff Sergeant. At the time of his passing, he was serving in South Korea."
"The fact that he would put his life on the line for us just means the world," she added.
Roussel attests that her father was a loving father.
"I remember he would take me out to the golfing range," she said. "And he would have me hit the golf ball and it would go two feet in front of me, and he'd be like, that was great."'
Her father paved the way for Americans to enjoy fulfilling lives to their fullest potential.
"I think he would be really proud," she said. "I'm actually a first-generation college graduate. I just think he would be really proud that we went to college. I know that's something he wanted to do as well for himself."
As a freshman at UK, Roussel was introduced to Children of Fallen Patriots.
"They really helped a lot with room and board and those types of things that I didn't really know where I was going to find funding for," she said.
The organization helps provide scholarships and educational counseling for children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
"They actually funded my study abroad trip to London, and I would have never been able to afford that if it wasn't for them, so it was really life-changing," she said.
"I just don't want his name to be forgotten," she said. I want to carry that on."
If you want to learn more about Children of Fallen Patriots, click here.
