With all the mess that is being made of the transgender agenda, our educational system, and our military, this young woman is showing what can be done when we embrace who we are and make the choices that honor that.

Sgt. Kelsey Madison is forging a path that no one else in her family has forged. In the process, she is finding purpose and being an inspiration to those around her.

Sgt. Kelsey Madison, 22, made the decision to enlist in the Ohio Army National guard in March 2018, when she was a senior at Whitmer High School.

“My mom actually reached out to the recruiter for me because I was scared,” she recalled with a laugh.

Though no one in her family has served in this way, Sgt. Madison was drawn to the career opportunities enlisting brought, including full tuition to study education at Lourdes University.

SGT Kelsey Madison, a student at Lourdes University, enlisted as a 13J Fire Control Specialist and holds the honor of being the first woman to enlist in the 13 series- something she didn’t expect when she joined the Ohio Army National Guard.#SoldierStory #NationalGuard pic.twitter.com/s8hi2WwElj

— Ohio Army National Guard Recruiting (@ArmyGuardOhio) September 4, 2022

SGT Kelsey Madison, a student at Lourdes University, enlisted as a 13J Fire Control Specialist and holds the honor of being the first woman to enlist in the 13 series- something she didn’t expect when she joined the Ohio Army National Guard.

The Army MOS 13 series is all about the guns—especially the big guns. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short-range, long-range, and extremely long-range target engagement. As a specialist, Sgt. Madison is trained in all these aspects of field artillery as well as calculating, planning, coordinating, and directing field artillery activities within her unit.

Quite a lot for such small shoulders. But Sgt. Madison feels as though she has stepped into her destiny.

The training wasn’t easy, but Sgt. Madison kept her head down and did what was required, and her hard work was noticed with a promotion right out of basic training.

“I graduated from there, went to my unit, and sat down and my sergeant for the first time. He was like, ‘you are the only female here. You’re the only female in the State of Ohio, in the whole battalion,’” she remembered.

What I love is that Sgt. Madison didn’t go into training expecting a special dispensation. It is apparent she had no idea she was going to be the “first” of anything. She initially joined the National Guard to help pay for her tuition to Lourdes University and found that she could and would do so much more. So Sgt. Madison leaned in.

She shared her story with 13abc’s Sashem Brey in hopes of encouraging her young daughter – and girls everywhere – to try something new.

“Don’t hold yourself back just because this looks like a male thing or it’s too intimidating,” she advised. “Joining the guard, it really has changed my life!”

Here are the ways Sgt. Madison made choices that counter the current downhill slide of culture:

• Sgt. Madison made the choice to serve when she could have easily done something else. But even though it’s part-time, she’s chosen to serve her country.
• When offered this unique role as a 13 specialist, Sgt. Madison stepped up and stepped in, without complaint or caveat.
• Sgt. Madison chose to take advantage of the educational opportunity afforded by the military instead of taking out student loans.
• Sgt. Madison birthed a child rather than choosing abortion. With a full course load and a part-time career, she still looks to inspire and care for that child’s well-being and future.

Most importantly, Sgt. Madison embraces all the roles that exist for her: Woman. Mother. Student. Soldier. Back in the ’70s, it was all about women having it all and breaking glass ceilings. In reality, attempting to break those ceilings caused more damage to us than the ceilings. While Sgt. Madison has chosen the path of the military, she also has not rejected the other aspects of being a woman or used them as limitations to her forward progress. No self-loathing, self-hatred, or confusion at all in her way of being.

That says volumes about Sgt. Madison and the example she is setting for her daughter and other young women.

There is hope for Generation Z.