FORMER VITA STUDENT RECEIVES TRIBUTE FROM HER GRANDDAUGHTER

The following letter was printed in the The Daily Advertiser, January 3, 2005. Lauren Rubin a Lafayette Middle School students, wrote the letter about her grandmother, Doris Rubin. Doris was a VITA students intermittently from 1988 until 2001. Doris's last tutor, Ruth Mellor, worked with her from 1997 until Ruth's stroke in 2001. Doris helped care for Ruth after her illness, and they remained friends until Ruth's death a few months ago.

My grandmother, Doris Rubin, grew up on a farm near Breaux Bridge. She had nine siblings-six brothers and three sisters. She worked in the house most of the time, but also in the fields. When she was eight years old, her father had a stroke, which left him paralyzed. My great-grandfather's condition caused great hardship to the entire family. My grandmother's responsibility was to care for him while my great-grandmother worked in the field with the other children. Since my grandmother cared for her father at home, she was unable to attend school.

Then at the age of 15, my grandmother experienced the death of her father. She later married and had two children of her own.

When her two boys graduated from high school,my grandmother was determined to attend school, too. She began the VITA program. However, not long after she began school, she was faced with another critical family situation. Her youngest brother, Steve, had a stroke. Although Uncle Steve was only 40 years old, he could not take care of himself.

Being the extraordinary woman my grandmother is, she discontinued the VITA program and for the next three years of her life managed to do the best she could with Uncle Steve. Shortly after his death, Grandma reentered school, but you guessed it, someone needed her help again.

This time it was her older sister,Eula. The task lasted two years this time. The obstacles my grandmother faced throughout her life have only strengthened her. I admire her because she never gave up. I am proud to say that my Grandma graduated from VITA just like she planned.

Today she is grateful to VITA and the volunteers who helped her learn to read and write.

The moral of Grandma's life story is "Don't quit, because quitters never win and winners never quit!"