Meet Anna Bilskemper from Liberty High School

For Liberty High School student Anna Bilskemper, determination has made all the difference.

Bilskemper has Rett Syndrome, a rare disorder that affects motor skills. Due to physical impairments, she communicates primarily through her Eyegaze device, which tracks eye movements to produce language.

In her shoes, participation in P.E. class could have seemed out of reach. Thanks to dedicated teachers, an industrious classmate, and her own hard work, Bilskemper is back in the game. 

“I learned a long time ago that I don’t have all the answers, but I am pretty good at finding someone who does,” said Tom Cronk. “In this case, that is what we did.”

Cronk teaches Adaptive P.E. at Liberty, a physical education course designed specifically to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Last spring, Cronk launched a project to develop practical, assistive technology that could involve Bilskemper in a range of activities. 

“I was trying to find a way for her to be active and involved with peers in a physical way,” said Cronk. “It’s P.E., and that’s what we want to do. How can we use her eyes to create physical enjoyment of the class?” 

Cronk’s idea was to connect Bilskemper’s assistive technology with another device. At first, he researched whether the Eyegaze could be used to control a toy car or act as a remote control for a television screen. 

Struggling to find solutions on his own, Cronk approached both a physics teacher and the robotics instructor at Liberty for advice. Cronk also shared that he had decided on a more ambitious goal: connect the Eyegaze with equipment that would allow Bilskemper to directly participate in games with other students. 

Though neither teacher was able to recommend a quick fix, they saw promise in the idea and recommended finding a robotics student to investigate further. 

“At that point, John really came through,” said Cronk. “He has a skillset and knowledge of something that I do not.”

Sophomore John Galvez is a member of the robotics team and part of Cronk’s advisory class. His knowledge of electronic hardware called “Arduinos” proved to be the key to finishing the project. 

“I wouldn’t have known about this project if I wasn’t in his advisory period,” said Galvez.

At Liberty, advisory is a weekly homeroom period that provides time to work on future planning and other essential life skills. The advisory period also keeps students updated on school events and introduces students and staff who might not otherwise cross paths. Students remain in the same advisory room for four years, fostering strong relationships.

“I am very fortunate to have a really good pulse with my advisory students,” said Cronk. “I have known John for about a year and a half. He is a brilliant young man. I realized I should talk to him.” 

Using equipment from physics teacher Matt Harding, Galvez was able to program the Arduino instrument to connect the Eyegaze to other devices. 

“Basically, what this does is allow Anna to participate in class,” said Galvez. “It allows her to look at a certain part of the screen and trigger other mechanisms to work.”

In the meantime, Cronk received a grant from the ICCSD Foundation to purchase equipment to complete the project– most notably, a leaf blower. 

Now, Bilskemper uses her eyes to play. She is able to toss a balloon, pass a soccer ball, knock over bowling pins, and play pitcher in kickball. Properly line up the leaf blower or a large fan, and with one look, Bilskemper can send objects where they need to go. 

“This was a really great application of the skill that I have,” said Galvez. “This is the first time I have worked on a project like this. I have studied programming and worked a lot on electronics projects, but this is the first time I have been able to apply that and help someone else.”

Cronk may have done the legwork, but he credits Galvez with finishing this transformative project for Bilskemper.

“Before Anna could do this, she had less interaction with other students,” said Cronk. “Now, she can play with her peers. She comes from a big golfing family. We are working on a new project using this same technology to help her swing a golf club.” 

For Galvez, the opportunity was both academically and personally fulfilling. 

“It was incredibly amazing to see that my work actually has this kind of impact on other people,” said Galvez. “I just think it is a wonderful thing to see. I can’t fully describe it. This was an invaluable experience.” 

Funding through the ICCSD Foundation came from the Little Idea Grants. School staff can submit proposals for Big Idea Grants and Little Idea Grants that make innovative ideas a reality for students. Laura Ebinger, Executive Director of the ICCSD Foundation, is happy the grant could bring this idea to life. 

"The Big & Little Idea grants reflect two key priorities of our Foundation: ensuring every student in our District has extraordinary learning experiences, and empowering our educators to innovate,” said Ebinger. “Grants like this are really made possible through the generosity of our community."

For Cronk, innovation is part of the job. In his class, about 20 general education students join the group, part of an effort to meet the physical needs of every student.

“We have been very fortunate to pair our Adaptive P.E. students with a peer leadership group, which creates a really active, physically healthy environment for all,” said Cronk. 

Finding a solution for Bilskemper has been particularly rewarding. 

“It has been a fantastic project,” said Cronk. “I couldn’t be more happy with the help from John, our teaching staff, Anna’s support nurse, and financial assistance from the ICCSD Foundation to acquire the equipment.” 

The school motto at Liberty is “Making a Difference.” Principal Justin Colbert sees the story as an example of Liberty at its best. 

“Our main goal is to make a difference in the lives of our students while simultaneously preparing our students to be difference makers in our world,” said Colbert. “I could not be more proud of Mr. Cronk, John Galvez, and Anna Bilskemper for turning this idea into a functional piece of equipment that actually works.”

Sometimes, it still takes effort for Bilskemper to get into the game. Some days, it is too tiring to use her Eyegaze, especially after physical therapy sessions. However, when her number is called, Anna is ready and able to play.

“Anna's determination to make the device function was surely fulfilling for her, but it also exemplifies the teamwork needed for this entire project to come together,” said Colbert. 

Cronk also sees this as a success story for Liberty. 

“Part of the greatness of our school is that we all want to help each other.”