By Lindsay Hagerman
Take a moment to consider a selfless, compassionate, generous, kind hearted and well-respected person who puts others before themself. These qualities are embodied in few individuals who find the purest kind of happiness in helping others. Ruth Lambert exudes such traits and sense of self-fulfillment.
Growing up in a single parent home in Virginia, Lambert moved to Paulding County with her father Dave, who greatly influenced her to become involved in their local church, First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta. The volunteer opportunities her church provided were the first of many for Lambert.
“I really learned a lot from being in church and having my dad encourage me to participate and become involved in the community,” said Lambert. “My dad was the choir director, so being involved in the church kept me out of trouble.”
Lambert said she has always been about helping people. Even in kindergarten she was awarded the ‘Mother Hen’ award for to always taking care of the other children in her class.
“Ever since then, I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, but realized that there are priorities in my life that I need to balance along with a job and becoming a teacher. These would encompass more of my passions in life,” she said. “By becoming an educator, I can still make an impact and encourage our future generations.”
Being a student at East Paulding High School provided even more avenues for Lambert to volunteer and help others in need. For more than a year she worked as an apprentice helping elderly patients at Wellstar Paulding Hospital in Paulding County.
“I really learned a lot about myself through the whole experience of taking care of elderly people,” said Lambert. “It changed a big part of me and made me value my life more than I ever have before.”
With all the volunteer work she has done throughout her life, the focus has always been on raising money for charity, but working at the hospital was never about the money for Lambert. “It was all about the time and the patience…and the community. It was about building relationships and in turn, it was really helpful for my growth as a person.”
After Lambert’s work at Wellstar Paulding Hospital, she sought further opportunities while attending Kennesaw State University.
During her freshman year at KSU, Lambert chose to become involved in a volunteering group on campus. She joined Circle K, and shortly thereafter, became social chair of the group. Later in her third year at KSU she joined the Social Justice Mentoring group.
“We would go to schools around the Kennesaw area, like East Cobb, and volunteer by helping students read and write,” said Lambert. “I learned a lot about what poverty stricken areas do to help the children that live there and we would in turn help them become better people in society.”
Deciding to abandon her dream of becoming a doctor and focus on becoming a teacher was a tough decision for Lambert, but she feels confident it is the right path for her future.
“Ruth has a very strong work ethic and in addition, she is positive and energetic,” said Associate Professor of Higher Education at KSU, Dr. Deborah Smith. “She does what needs to be done for the good of a group and she is even willing to work through, rather than walk away from, conflict if that is what needs to be done to help a group meet its goals.”
Smith is a supporter of Lambert’s interest in learning about others who are different from her. Lambert looks for opportunities to get outside her comfort zone, regardless of the situation.
KSU’s Center for Student Leadership offers a program called the Lǽdan Program, which Lambert was accepted into. This yearlong program merges academic courses with hands-on field experiences throughout Cobb County.
Through the experience of this program, Lambert said it has helped her become a part of the Habitat for Humanity Chapter that was started last December at KSU.
“Another member of the Lǽdan Program and I got talking about Habitat for Humanity being more green friendly and I realized that it could possibly be a good group to belong to,” said Lambert. “I liked that it encouraged people to be better homeowners for themselves and their community.”
Over spring break of this year, Lambert, along with group members of the Habitat for Humanity Chapter, helped to build a home for a family in need.
“I have volunteered with Ruth in the past and am always in awe of the passion she has for others,” said Brittany Wirsig, student at Kennesaw State University. “She’s so kind and generous with her time, but you can tell she enjoys every single minute spent helping others. Very few people express such compassionate qualities and she’s definitely someone I respect greatly.”
Being involved in many volunteer opportunities has not gone unnoticed by the Assistant Director for Leadership Programs at KSU, Rian Satterwhite.
“It has been a pleasure watching her grow throughout these experiences,” said Satterwhite. “She has proven herself to be passionate and energetic about working in the community and making a difference for others.”
Lambert believes if something is going to be successful, you do not have to be there for it to be a success. “You can lay the foundation and let it grow. My hands don’t have to be in everything all the time.”
Through Lambert’s charitable acts, she has benefited not only her friends and family, but her community as a whole. She said she has always looked up to her father and has modeled her life after him.
“I think my dad really raised me to do the right thing and I look at him as a role model,” she said. “He had to put aside his lifestyle in order to raise a child and he has done the most selfless act because he sacrificed his youth for me.”
Lambert’s perspective of American society is that they tend to be more individualistic. She believes “you try to do as much as you can for your family, but you also need to do as much for your community.” Each indirectly affects the other.
“For me, I like to get my hands into everything. I like to be busy until my hair falls out and see a change in my community in any way I can because that’s what makes me happy,” she said.
Currently, Lambert is tutoring a child at Hollydale Elementary School for one of her classes. She said that since tutoring, it has changed her view on parenting and what she will do differently with her own children.
“I can’t stay out of my community. I will always be an active member seeking more ways to help others and encourage growth,” said Lambert.
