Library Director to Speak at AEL’s High School Equivalency Ceremony

Library Director to Speak at AEL’s High School Equivalency Ceremony

May 6, 2022 | ,

Scenic Regional Library Director Steven W. Campbell will be the speaker for the East Central College Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) graduation ceremony.

The ceremony will recognize students who have passed the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET). It will be Saturday, May 14, at 2:30 p.m. in the Donald Shook Student Center gymnasium.­

Campbell, who has been serving as director of Scenic Regional Library system since 2012, also is an adjunct political science instructor at ECC. He has been an adjunct instructor since 2019.

Before moving to this area, Campbell was the director of the North Kansas City Public Library from 2007 to 2012­­­­.

According to Campbell, those being recognized during the AEL ceremony should be very proud of their accomplishment.

“I think people underestimate the difficulty involved in completing a HiSET exam after leaving school,” he said. “Once people have full-time jobs and sometimes families, going back and being able to prepare, and then pass, such an extensive test is a tremendous accomplishment.”

Campbell described the achievement as “pressing the reset button.”

“It also opens up endless possibilities for someone,” he added. “They can go to college or a trade school or really pursue whatever career opportunities they wish.”

About Campbell

Campbell has a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Central Missouri, master’s degree in library science from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a second master’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

He was named the Missouri Library Association’s Outstanding Professional Librarian in 2017.

Currently, Campbell serves as president of the new Franklin County Volunteer Transportation Board of Directors, president of the Franklin County Literacy Council, president of the East Central Area Literacy Council and recently was appointed to the City of Union Planning and Zoning Commission.

In addition, he has been serving on the Missouri Evergreen Board of Directors — a statewide library consortium — since 2014. Campbell was president of the organization from 2016 to 2018.

Campbell previously served on the Four Rivers YMCA Board in Washington and as member-at-large and treasurer of the Missouri Library Association’s Board of Directors in 2019-2020. From 2012-2022, he served on the Union Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and he was president of the Chamber board in 2019-2020.