Role modeling for children has big pay-off for IUB’s Ruth EberleBy Susan Williams | ||
 LaTasha Lewis (left) with her “Big Sister,” Ruth Eberle
| So you think you’re busy?
Consider Ruth Eberle, director of technology for IU Bloomington’s Cognitive Science Program. Besides ensuring that the technology needs of the faculty in her department are met, Eberle is one of the primary authors of “Annotate,” a software program, and s he is part-time faculty for the Cognitive Science Program, teaching in the areas of math and logic. Add to that her generous volunteer activities. She is a “big sister” to 17-year-old LaTasha Lewis and to 10-year-old Sara Aylward. Eberle also mentors Mystic Goodmann, a fourth grader at Grandview Elementary School in Bloomington, and is a foster mother t o both 12-year-old Natasha and 10-year-old Kari. Eberle came to IU in 1989 from the College of the Holy Cross in Worchester, Mass., for graduate school. She had been in Bloomington for just a year when she decided to volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. “I like interacting with children,” she said, “and I knew that there are many children in need of a ‘someone’ to be a role model and pay special attention to them.” And so, in 1990, a match was made between then 7-year-old LaTasha and Eberle. Still together, they were honored recently at a Big Brothers/ Big Sisters reception to celebrate their 10 years together. Time and energy are expensive commodities for graduate students, but Eberle found both to share with “Tasha.” The two rode horseback, canoed, swam and hit balls at the batting cages, among other activities. They enjoyed eating together and developed a spe cialty recipe—corn pancakes topped with spinach, broccoli, melted cheese and sour cream. It’s still a favorite. Those experiences nourished both of them, body and soul. “I would feel like I was doing something so worthwhile and important for Tasha when she would look to me in the stands with a proud smile on her face after scoring a basket,” said Eberle, recalling Tasha’s younger days in Girl’s Inc. basketball games. “Tasha is the one who practiced so hard to become good, but if she hadn’t had someone to sign her up for her team, to take her to practices and games, and to express confidence in her, neither of us would have experienced her enjoying herself so much and feeling so good about herself,” Eberle said. When the two met, Tasha was a second grader who couldn’t read. It took only a month of practice with Eberle for her to reach grade level, and then the two moved on to writing essays and reports. Eberle helped her with homework and taught her to program co mputers. Eventually, they took trips together—to Boston, New York, the Atlanta Olympics and, most recently, to Spelman College for an official college visit. Lewis graduated from high school a year early with honors and entered IU at 17. “The relationship Tasha and I have built together is a long-term reward,” said Eberle, “as is knowing that I’ve helped increase the number of options she has in life. I feel proud about what a good, caring, responsible and ambitious young person she is. I could not love or care for her more if she were my own daughter.” Eberle credits an in-home “mother’s helper” and a supportive network of friends for their help in making her schedule manageable, and is thankful for the Cognitive Science Program for being understanding of her need to work flexible hours occasionally—suc h as when she has to attend a school conference or must take a sick child to the doctor. All my kids are wonderful and remarkable people,” said Eberle. “Sure, I have to be very organized with my time. But having them in my life is a joy, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” http://www.psych.indiana.edu/ | |
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Publication date: October 13, 2000
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