KINGSTON, R.I. — Oct. 28, 2025 — How can your dog tell you what the letters on the buildings’ signs are? Why does your dog wear a special harness? Why do dogs poop and pee?

University of Rhode Island graduate, actor, advocate, and newly published author Aria Mia Loberti ’20 patiently fielded myriad questions from the inquisitive minds of preschool students in URI’s Child Development Centers as she joined them on the carpet with her guide dog, Ingrid. Loberti, who was born with achromatopsia—a rare condition that results in low vision, which rendered her legally blind for most of her life—visited the CDC Oct. 21 to talk about her new children’s book I Am Ingrid, teach the children what makes guide dogs so special, and answer the young students’ questions.

Yes, all of them.

“Guide dogs are actually not allowed to go to the bathroom when they’re working,” Loberti said, explaining that the service animals must be on duty at all times when out in public with their human. “So, you have to pay attention to when your dog last ate or drank something, and you have to learn how long it takes for your dog to go to the bathroom after. Sometimes Ingrid will let me know, but as smart as she is, she is a dog. So you have to be very aware.”

Loberti—star of the Netflix series “All the Light We Cannot See”—visited the Kingston Campus for a series of events associated with the launch of her new picture book published by Scholastic. I Am Ingrid tells the story of the eponymous black lab from her time as a puppy, through her training by Guide Dogs for the Blind California, her travels with “her human” to Narragansett, R.I., and all the adventures they share.

“In the story, Ingrid has a lot of false confidence, so sometimes she’ll tell you she’s doing something perfectly, and the illustrations will tell you something different,” Loberti said. “You see her grow into her confidence, so that by the end of the story, what she tells you about how incredible she is you see reflected on the page in the illustrations. You see her journey, her evolution. It was exciting to see what a great tool it can be for kids, but also it’s just a fun story about following your dreams and not giving up, and I think that’s something that can resonate with people, regardless of how old they are.”

While much of Loberti’s vision has been restored thanks to special light-filtering contact lenses that have trained and strengthened her eyes, her special relationship with Ingrid continues after eight years. As she explained to the preschool students, the relationship with a guide dog is unique because you have to learn to become in tune with the animal and teach them to act as close to a human being as possible—at least in public.

“When you’re at home, it’s pretty much the same as having a pet. Because they work so hard, when they’re off-duty it’s so important for them to detox and play, and have their toys and other dog friends, and run around and be crazy,” Loberti said. “If you’re taking your pet dog out for a walk, the dog can sniff and play, but when a guide dog is in her harness, she can’t be distracted, or sniff, or jump on people. It’s very difficult to teach a dog how to compartmentalize. The book was a really interesting way of showcasing all the skills she has to learn. It’s important for kids to understand how difficult the job is, and that the dog can’t be distracted.”

Ingrid, like all guide dogs, also had to learn when not to listen to her human. Separating them from most other service animals, guide dogs must learn “intelligent disobedience,” a skill that allows her to consider an instruction and determine if it’s safe to follow. Loberti gives an example of needing to cross a street on campus, where nearly silent electric scooters, bicycles, and even cars pose a particular threat to those with low vision.

“I would think it’s safe to cross the street because I don’t hear any cars coming, and she would have to be the one to think it through and determine no, we’re not going to cross the street right now,” Loberti said. “It’s so hard because she had to learn to listen to her human when she thinks it’s best, and we have to trust her judgment. Now that I can see, being able to see what she’s doing and realize the amount of brain power that goes into weaving around people or obstacles—watching her watch 50 paces ahead—is absolutely crazy. I had the textbook understanding of it, but I didn’t know what it entailed until I could see her actually do it.”

Those lessons and more are included in I Am Ingrid, which is not Loberti’s first book. After penning two young adult novels that have yet to be published, Loberti hadn’t planned on aiming for a younger audience until the publisher suggested it. It was a difficult, but rewarding challenge.

“It was really intimidating to write a children’s book, because, as opposed to a novel where you have more freedom, every word in a picture book has to count for something and sort of earn its place,” Loberti said. “So it was really exciting to figure out the best way to tell the story, and to reach out to this population where there is very little representation.”

Loberti plans to continue writing and hopes to publish more in the future. Since her starring role in the 2023 miniseries, she has been featured in fashion magazine Marie Claire, narrated an audiobook of Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” and appeared in ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” as well as five episodes of “The Spiderwick Chronicles” on Roku TV. She has other acting projects in the works and is starting a production company with close friend and colleague, Molly Stevens ’20.

As for Ingrid, the 10-year-old dog is settling into a more relaxed life now that her human has gained her vision and ability to travel more independently. Loberti’s contact lenses have acted as physical therapy for her eyes, she said, strengthening her vision. While she remains unable to see color, she is able to live as a fully sighted person, even without the lenses.

“Ingrid travels a little bit less with me now because I also have to get used to doing it without her. I was low-vision my whole life. Now full-sighted, it’s different,” Loberti said. “So she will go with my parents and have a little vacation sometimes, and she gets to come with me when it’s something fun, as opposed to me always needing her to work even when it’s 100 degrees. Her life has become a bit more balanced. It’s nice to say you can have a day off today.”