Strangers Saved Her From a Burning Car, Now Her Mom Funds Scholarships for Heroes

Five years ago, 18-year-old Kenli Riney was trapped in a burning car after a head-on collision on a Texas highway. Four strangers ran toward the flames and pulled her out. One of them, Mike Argote, was burned during the rescue, started CPR, and when he tired, his 14-year-old daughter Ema took over compressions before the family prayed over Kenli on the side of the road.

Kenli survived, and the two families stayed connected after her uncle found a Facebook post about the rescue. Her parents, Marjohn and Kevin, founded the Kenli Foundation in Kerrville, Texas, to award scholarships to students who show heroism, compassion, and strong character. So far, the foundation has given $67,000 to 67 students for college, trade school, and graduate school, and applications jumped from just four in the first year to 451 this year.

This year’s scholarship went to Ema Argote, the same teenager who performed CPR on the highway that day. She graduated high school and now attends the University of Texas at San Antonio. Do you know a young person who shows that kind of courage? Tell us about them in the comments.