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What happens when your world is reduced to Zoom rectangles?  For senior Ruby Bernard, it inspired an opportunity to create a legacy!

#zoomlife became the norm for school, work, socializing, medical appointments and countless other aspects of our lives during 2020. While Ruby Bernard, RSSAA Class of 2021, routinely noticed the often-blank backgrounds of her classmates, teachers, family members and healthcare providers, she also realized that as she was completing her high school career she had accumulated a LOT of beautiful artwork, as had her classmates. And like a light bulb switching on, Artreach Steiner was born: A mechanism for RSSAA high school students to donate their art, and for any interested party in the community to order it to display in their home or office.

The winter semester that began in January 2021 provided the perfect opportunity for Ruby to turn this vision into reality. All seniors are expected to work on a Senior Project of their choosing and be prepared to present it at the end of March. The seniors were told to choose a topic they were passionate about. Some chose something they are interested in studying after high school. Others chose topics that are more of a hobby interest. Ruby wanted to make this exchange platform for student artwork. And more specifically, she wanted to learn how to build a website.

She ran into a hurdle as soon as the project started.

When Ruby approached the administration to ask for support for her idea, the High School Coordinators and the Communications Director loved the idea. The communications staff wanted to help by offering to show Ruby how she could set up this exchange on the school’s existing website. Ruby politely, but firmly, pushed back. She did not want the school to “take over” and make her idea fit into their existing infrastructure because it seemed convenient for the school. After she wrote a proposal that included personal and organizational objectives, a budget, and a timeline, Ruby asked for a time slot at a subsequent RSSAA Board of Trustees meeting. She prepared a presentation, and the board was thrilled about the project. The administrative staff approved her technology budget, and Ruby then set off to build the Artreach Steiner website.

Per project instructions, Ruby sought help from subject-matter experts in the community. Her faculty advisor, Elena Efimova, RSSAA art program head, provided guidance, inspiration, plus actual works of art. Additionally, Ruby cultivated a professional relationship with Deborah Edwards-Onoro, an outside mentor who runs her own web design company. Deborah was instrumental in helping Ruby select and learn the appropriate software and tools for her project.

Ruby presented her project and website to the school community on March 30. Students love it because they often don’t know what to do with all their beautiful art. Now they can donate it to the website. And the administration is thrilled to have an additional avenue to showcase the creativity that happens here every day.

Ruby’s project is more than just making lemonade out of lemons.

During her dozens of hours of staring into people’s rooms over Zoom, she saw a way to brighten others’ living spaces while making a lasting contribution to the school where she has spent twelve years. And she did it with passion, ambition, and maturity.