Jim Dougherty
Jim Dougherty's dream was to become a military policeman in the Army. An injury cut his dream short, but 13 years later he feels he's right where he's supposed to be.
"I may be injured, but I'm still able to serve my country," Dougherty, who now works as a veterans affairs advocate in Rep. Christopher Carney's office, said.
He joined the Army in 1996 and that same year became paralyzed from the chest down. After a six month stint in the hospital, he set out to redefine his life.
The road to recovery was long, but Dougherty took on the challenge and, in 2007, earned a bachelor's degree in information technology.
Dougherty, now 35, searched for an IT job for more than a year before a Veterans Affairs vocational counselor told him about the Wounded Warrior Program.
"I gave it a shot and it was the best thing I ever did," he said.
Dougherty said he's "grateful" that he can still serve his country through his job.
"It's such a blessing to be able to help out veterans," he said. "To use my knowledge and empathy to improve their lives - it's a great thing."
