Here at RWC our final Feature Student of Winter Quarter could be described as one of the most influential students of the year. Meet Elbert Daniels, an RWC student and current Tai Chi instructor, who is willing to give his educational focus a whole new appeal to his peers as well as faculty and staff of RWC.
He is 47 years old and probably one of the most physically fit people in Cincinnati. But he hasn’t achieved this level of fitness without facing some severe challenges.
Elbert had met his match in health when he was diagnosed at age 31 with a rare bone cancer. At this time, there wasn’t much medical research available on his condition, but one of his doctors offered him the opportunity to go through an experimental procedure for the bone cancer.
Frustrated during treatment, he fell into deep depression. Having been able to care for himself until then, he now had to have assistance from others and had a hard time coping with his incapacitation.
Elbert was also having to struggle with finances and was not receiving the insurance coverage he was entitled to (see “The Great Insurance Debate” in the previous issue). He had to deal with coverage that was working against rather than for him and as a result had to have his income consumed by medical bills.
Yet his motivation for wellness and his great spirited determination to conquer his cancer resulted in more than just being a cancer survivor. Elbert had inadvertently bumped into self-discovery where he found he could do so much more–not for himself, but others.
He had developed concern for the welfare of others and had decided to take his teaching of Tai Chi to the elderly, many of whom struggle through medical conditions of their own. His focus on helping others has led to the spread of good heart, and word of his Tai Chi classes has spread without need for advertisements.
Elbert says, “The more you give, the more you receive,” a statement which will surely lead to his ultimate success when he completes his education and his desired certification in teaching.
And when he sets foot in his first high school classroom, he will be the beginning and the finish of a teacher who will help fulfill the best four years of more than one student’s life.
Elbert is seeking a way to offer his Tai Chi course at RWC. If you are interested in taking such a course, contact Professor Michael Roos at 745-5764 or email at michael.roos@uc.edu.