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For years Rick Wheeler would see Roberta Gausas, greet her warmly, and tell her a little story about Overbrook. At an event at the Art Museum, or somewhere downtown, the longtime Board member and one-time President would make his subtle pitch to Gausas, a well-respected ophthalmologist, about getting involved.
``He would keep me informed about Overbrook and encourage me to visit,’’ says Gausas. “But I was busy working and didn’t feel I could commit the time.’’
That changed when Gausas retired. Suddenly she had time to do all sorts of things, including taking that long-delayed visit to Overbrook.
“I was so impressed by what I saw,” she says. “The teachers and the enthusiasm of the students -- and what was being achieved and the dedication -- I said, `OK, yes. Now I would love to be a part of this!’ ”
With her medical background in ophthalmology, Warren saw Gausas as a perfect fit. ``And he was right,’’ she says. She became more involved, and ultimately accepted an invitation to join the Board. Of particular interest to her, she says, is the work being done with Cortical (Cerebral) Vision Impairment, and the advances in diagnosing, treating and teaching students at a formative age.
``I found that fascinating from the medical side,’’ she says. CVI falls into the realm of neuro-ophthalmology, and Dr. Gausas’ subspecialty for much of her distinguished career was plastic and reconstructive surgery. Therefore she had only casual awareness of CVI at first, and was surprised to learn that the diagnosis of CVI in children has increased exponentially over the last two decades in the U.S. and other developed countries.
She also learned what a committed and inspiring school OSB is. The educational passion of the instructional staff permeates the student body, building an exceptional and uplifting community.
``They're so enthusiastic and they're so eager to be exposed to everything and to do everything with independence,” Gausas says. “ They’re learning life skills in addition to the education. There is just such a level of specialized skills of teaching and devotion and commitment. It is so beautiful that Overbrook can create this environment to achieve that.”
In addition to her work on the Board, Gausas is also on the board of Advisors of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation. She also is the mother of a 14-year-old daughter. She loves to travel, and, in her words, ``I am interested in education in general.”
That serves her well in her role at OSB. ``There is just such a level of specialized skills of teaching and devotion and commitment,” she says. “It is so beautiful that Overbrook can create this environment to achieve that.”
