EKO Scholar Katrina Lamothe
“We live in an ableist society and my goal is to change that.” Katrina
A passionate advocate, mentor and champion of accessibility, Katrina Lamothe is committed to changing people’s assumptions about people with disabilities and ensuring all people have access to the same opportunities in the community, at school and in the workplace.
Katrina excelled at her Ottawa high school, but it was a course in feminism, intersectionality and advocacy that sparked her passion for revolutionizing society. It affirmed her belief that people need to see the whole person, not just the disability, and the best way for that to happen is to lead, advocate and educate others.
A high achiever and natural leader, her passionate advocacy for students with disabilities led to improved accessibility in all of her school’s washrooms. She was also an active participant at her school’s Leadership Camp and was awarded the role of Vice President of the Titans Den Business Club, organizing activities to help fellow students develop workplace skills for the future. As mentor to a grade seven student, she planned and implemented weekly activities and lessons based on her mentee’s needs.
Katrina also earned a position as co-op student with the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Youth in Policing Initiative which gives young people an opportunity to develop job skills and participate in community activities. From participating in a graffiti clean-up day to completing HIGH Five Training to work with children, she proved her disability does not interfere with all that she is capable of achieving. As the only OPS co-op student with a disability, her placement also helped educate staff on how best to accommodate different needs in the workplace and open the door for other students with disabilities to have similar opportunities.
She is especially proud to have graduated from the French Immersion program with honours, including an award for the highest grade in her business program. The EKO Scholarship supports her dream to become a lawyer, driven by her commitment to making workplaces inclusive environments for all.
Katrina is on her way to achieving her goals. She has started a Bachelor of Arts in law with a concentration in Business Law at Carlton University’s Faculty of Public Affairs, with hopes to eventually declare a Minor in Political Science.