The Ability Center works to ensure that people with disabilities have opportunities to achieve higher education. In partnership with The Ability Center Auxiliary, we provide critical college scholarships to area students with disabilities.
One in a Million.
Most people with multiple autoimmune conditions would consider the odds against them when pursuing their dreams. But Olivia Ohmer is thinking differently.
An autoimmune condition is relatively rare, so having more than one is highly uncommon. Olivia Ohmer has three.
At age three, doctors diagnosed Livy with Type 1 Diabetes. A year later, they discovered she had Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease. For Livy, managing those chronic conditions meant learning personal responsibility far earlier than most people her age. By her estimate, she makes an extra 30-40 daily decisions most of us never need to consider.
Olivia attends Adrian College, where she plays on the school’s golf team. Not long ago, doctors informed her she had Solar Urticaria, a rare allergic reaction to sun exposure. Determined not to let that diagnosis prevent her from playing competitive golf, Livy resolved to overpower this condition as she does the others.
Livy received a college scholarship from The Ability Center Auxiliary in 2022. A member of the Honors College, she studies biology and public health and plans on becoming a physician assistant specializing in elderly care. Olivia understands the importance of patient care needs at all ages and hopes to advocate on behalf of vulnerable patient populations.
While most golfers go a lifetime without making a hole-in-one, Livy has two to her credit. Whether beating the odds on the golf course or handling the rarest medical conditions, she is truly one in a million.
Applications for the 2024/25 academic year are now closed.
Selected Scholarship Recipients will be notified in late April. Awardees are asked to attend a Scholarship Luncheon on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
Eligibility Requirements
For scholarship consideration, applicants must meet all eligibility requirements.
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- Be an individual with a disability
- Have a permanent address in Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Fulton, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Williams, or Wood counties in Ohio or in Monroe or Lenawee counties in Michigan
- Carry at least a 3.0 GPA
- Be enrolled in a post-secondary degree program
