Kentucky first lady visits Fort Knox schools in honor of Month of the Military Child

FORT KNOX, Ky. —Kentucky First Lady Britainy Beshear visited Fort Knox April 19 to meet with children and tour some of the installation’s schools and childcare facilities.

Welcomed by the Commanding General of U.S. Army Recruiting Command and Fort Knox, Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, as well as the Garrison Command Team, Beshear said she feels it’s important to touch base with the post’s children each year.

“It’s Month of the Military Child, so I think it’s important that the children hear from the people in Frankfort…

that their leaders here care about them, and that what they have to say matters.”

Along her visit, Beshear read to the Pre-K students at the Child Development Center and visited multiple classes at the current Van Voorhis Elementary School. Beshear then went to Scott Intermediate School where she was given a student-guided tour of the school and their robotics classroom.

One of the students who lead the school tour, Kaleesi Crawford, said that she was nervous to meet the first lady at first but once she met her, she said Beshear was, “sweet and smiley, and [leading the tour was] kind of like you’re just showing a new student around.”

The children in the robotics classroom showed her projects that they are currently working on and presented her with two 3D-printed bulldogs, the school’s mascot, for her and her husband. Beshear said she was very impressed by the class.

“The excitement that that room has in it – the buzz and the creativity and the intelligence – it blows my mind how sharp these kids are,” she said.

Beshear’s last stop was a pep rally at Kingsolver Elementary School, where the North Hardin High School JROTC program performed a drill demonstration, and the grades presented different Month of the Military Child chants for a ‘friendly competition’.

Beshear shared her appreciation for the post’s educational environment and culture.

“Every time I come to a school on a military base, the things that I really find exceptional are the maturity and the kindness of the kids who are here,” said Beshear.  “And the caring of the staff that go above and beyond to help these children not only acclimate to new surroundings, but to give them their all in educating them to have the futures that these children deserve to have.”