Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
As a volunteer at Kali’s Klubhouse, a nonprofit organization at Fargnoli Farms in Apalachin, New York, Kendra Hubal prepares horses for therapeutic riding sessions with at-risk teens, children with special needs, and veterans.
Along with readying the horses, Kendra mentors at-risk teens. Her inspiration and drive to help comes in part from her own experience as a teen at Fargnoli Farms, which she says helped her turn her life around.
“My junior year in high school I was in a program at the farm called ‘The 7 Keys to Success’ for at-risk teens. Taking part helped me make new friends and learn new ways to communicate.”
Kendra’s time at the farm, as a teen and now as a mentor, has inspired her to choose a new path forward in her career. She had originally wanted to study music, but after volunteering at Kali's Klubhouse, she decided to become a speech-language pathologist.
“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to help,” Kendra says. “Some of these children, you’ll see them smile on the horse or be vocal, and it’s heart-warming. One woman cried because of how her son was on the horse. I’m so thankful to be a part of that. We call the farm a healing place, and that’s truly what it is.”