It would be easy to assume that recent Blue Valley North graduate Jon Ruben would major in business in college. After all, he won state and regional awards three years running in annual competitions sponsored by the Future Business Leaders of America. But his experience as a paraprofessional for Sasone for students with learning disabilities at Congregation Beth Shalom helped to shape his college goals.
Patti Kroll, the religious school director at Beth Shalom’s Polsky Religious School, nominated Jon. She described him as “mature beyond his years,” and added, “He cares deeply for the students and wants to continue to do what is best for the educational program.”
“When I was a freshman and a sophomore, I was considering a major in business,” he said in a recent interview. But his high school physics and calculus teachers suggested he consider STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) as a career goal. So now his dream is to be a college physics or math professor.
Of course other experiences have added to that decision: years of attending Camp Herzl in northern Wisconsin led to a position as OZO this year. A highly selective position, former campers compete against one another for these coveted staff jobs. “Working as a staff member and volunteering as an OZO allows me to give back to the camp that has been so great to me over the years,” Jon explained. “I think that I have the best job in the world!”
He has spent six of the last seven years at Herzl, but his many years as a student in the Polsky Religious School made him take a chance on a trip to Israel. Two summers ago, he went there with the USY Pilgrimage, skipping a summer at Herzl. “I went on the trip not knowing anyone, and I went away with so many close friends! It was truly wonderful to experience all of the places that I had learned of and studied over the years at Beth Shalom’s religious school,” he said. “From that experience, I was able to experience Judaism first hand, in the Jewish homeland.”
In addition to working at Beth Shalom and Herzl, Jon worked at the JCC summer camp and volunteered as a madrich (teaching assistant) in other classrooms at the Polsky Religious School. He also co-chaired the synagogue’s USY Purim Carnival, participated in Panim el Panim, an advocacy program for Jewish teens in Washington, D.C., and has held several positions in student government and other organizations. But Jon highlighted his para-professional experience at the Polsky Religious School as “incredibly rewarding.”
Jon’s academic credentials are also impressive. He has achieved a score of 5 on eight AP tests and a 4 on the ninth. Add to that a GPA of 4.33 and a high class ranking, and it’s even more remarkable to learn that Jon has been hearing impaired since infancy. While he wears hearing aids, his mother Lisa said, “He does not consider himself to have a disability.”
It’s no wonder that colleges and universities competed for him. But he chose Ohio State University in Columbus over a slew of other offers “based upon the scholarships as well as the strength of their math, engineering and physics programs,” he explained. He also wanted to have the big-school experience. “So Ohio State was the perfect fit.”
Though not exactly around the corner, OSU is now only a non-stop flight away. It’s close enough so that Jon will still be able to get home often enough to see his parents, Steve and Lisa Ruben, and sisters Ashley, 16, and Julia, 11. Plus, he still gets to spend time with his grandfather, Rod Minkin, whom he considers his mentor. “My grandfather has been a wonderful role model over the years. I have learned so much from him,” Jon said. “I always looked forward to the insightful (and often, funny!) stories that he would share, as well as the Shabbat dinners at his house.”
Minkin, chairman of the board of directors of the Menorah Medical Center from 1999-2001, must have made a bigger impression on his grandson than he even realized. All those “insightful stories” that Jon heard during those many Shabbat dinners have obviously influenced Jon’s choices … not only in the volunteer world, but in his educational and career choices.
This young man’s character is also reflected in the volunteer example set by his father; Steve is treasurer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and has been a member of the Federation Audit Committee for the past four years.
Educator Kroll added that Jon “knows when to ask questions to get a better understanding of what he needs to do and is not afraid to take a risk. He has a wonderful attitude, is reliable and responsible and truly understands his role in the classroom. Jon is an exceptional young man with a great concern for others.”