Back then, most work was in the city's factories.But a teaching job came up on Yuin Country at Nowra Public School."I went for it, I was fortunate to get the position, and I've been in that position ever since," she says.Aunty Ruth was part of the first cohort of Aboriginal teacher aides in NSW — a role now recognised as Aboriginal Education Officers.The roles were created to strengthen relationships between schools and Aboriginal families, support students' learning, act as role models and ensure communities had a voice in their children's education. "I still have the piece of paper with all 62 of our names printed out I thought, well, excuse me!" she says."He said he was going to pay for them, that 'no amount of money will ever make up for what you did for me from kindergarten to year six at Nowra Primary School.'Beyond her work in schools, Aunty Ruth has served her community in a range of roles.She's a life member of the NSW Aboriginal Consultative Education Group, a non-profit organisation working to improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal students. She was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012 for her service to Indigenous education and her community