Volunteer Spotlight – Ada Elizabeth Rubin

Introducing Ada Elizabeth Rubin

Ada E. Rubin volunteers at the Edenvale Branch Library as one of our Homework Club Leaders. A thoughtful and considerate tutor, Ada has helped lead the Edenvale Homework Club for more than a year. She also served the library as a volunteer Summer Skillz tutor last year, leading academic exercises for youth throughout the 2018 summer months.

Since beginning her San Jose Public Library duties early last year, Ada has logged over 100 hours of accumulated volunteer service. As an adult coach in our Homework Club, Ada has helped a wide range of children in nearby elementary and middle school solve their trickiest homework problems. Ada has also assisted dozens of parents in search of answers for their kids’ academic needs. Staff at Edenvale are tremendously appreciative of Ada’s ongoing service, her positive attitude and her selfless commitment to education, kids and the local community.

Submitted by Librarian, Paul J. Wilson from the Edenvale Branch Library

A Chat with Ada

As a child... I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and spent a lot of time reading, drawing, watching TV and holding a microphone to a transistor radio to tape record music. I took ballet, violin and classical guitar lessons. I also took apart broken electronics to see what was inside. For a time, Barbies were my favorite toy until I became obsessed with Star Trek, as well as collecting rocks and minerals.

My first job... that lasted more than 2 weeks … was putting fliers on cars for my uncle.

My fondest memory from volunteering... is when my parents let me keep a stray cat I found.

I am most proud of... passing the qualifying and preliminary graduate exams in Physics.

My role model... at the moment, is Bernie Sanders -- but really anyone who can hold on to a vision of a better world without becoming paralyzed by despair or consumed by self interest.

Libraries are... the clearest, most unsullied manifestations of what government can do right, which is so important to appreciate in a time when many of us feel so cynical. It is a place to simply sit and be free, a place to exercise our 1st amendment right to assemble that is completely secular, and a place to witness what is good about humans like kindness, compassion, curiosity, and cooperation.

My favorite book, movie, or song is... is Star Trek in all its forms (books, movies, TV, conventions). This show had a massive impact on me during my younger years. Also, the song, 'Mississippi Goddamn' by Nina Simone, always gets me pumped up.

I volunteer because... because of my love of libraries and how fun it is to help kids with their homework (a.k.a. problems I can actually solve).