A student who received support from Five Counties Children’s Centre as a young child is now being recognized for her determination to pursue a career helping others.
Kara Doherty has been named one of eight recipients of the 2026 Empowered Kids Ontario Scholarships, receiving $3,000 toward her post-secondary education.
Doherty began pre-health studies at Loyalist College this fall, with plans to pursue nursing and potentially specialize in geriatrics or pediatrics.
For Doherty, the recognition is especially meaningful given the challenges she has experienced growing up with hearing loss.
Doherty was born with conductive hearing loss, a condition that affects how sound reaches the inner ear.
Her hearing loss was identified after her parents brought her for screening through the Infant Hearing Program at Five Counties Children’s Centre.
Following her diagnosis, she received support from audiologists and participated in speech therapy.
Doherty credits those early experiences with helping develop her communication skills and confidence.
“I always loved it at Five Counties. I always found it so amazing,” she recalled.
Growing up, however, wasn’t always easy.
Doherty says her hearing loss sometimes made communication difficult and exposed her to stereotypes and assumptions about her abilities.
“I’ve spent much of my life hating not being able to hear, in part because people always assumed things about me,” she said.
“But I’ve grown to feel comfortable in my own shoes. It’s made me who I am for the better, not the worse.”
Today, she embraces hearing aids and assistive technology, including what she describes as her favourite “bright pink, sparkly ones.”
Empowered Kids Ontario represents publicly funded organizations that provide developmental health services to children and families across the province.
Its annual scholarship program supports former clients of member organizations as they pursue post-secondary education.
Eight students across Ontario were selected this year, each receiving $3,000.
Doherty says the award demonstrates that living with a disability doesn’t have to limit someone’s ambitions.
“This award shows society that differences and individual hurdles don’t limit a person, but rather they can use their experiences to serve others,” she said.
Five Counties CEO Scott Pepin says seeing former clients succeed as adults is particularly rewarding.
“It’s a joy working with a young child to give them the treatment support they need, and even more gratifying to see them excel and succeed as they hit their stride in adulthood,” Pepin said.
Jennifer Churchill, President and CEO of Empowered Kids Ontario, says the scholarship program is designed to help remove educational barriers for young people with disabilities and developmental needs.
For Doherty, her experiences have helped shape the kind of health-care professional she hopes to become.
She says she wants to offer patients the same compassion and respect she received from those who supported her throughout her childhood.
Her guiding philosophy is simple: “Treat everyone as they are, not judge them.”