May 9
RichmondCC Student Continues to Improve His Life with Education
May 9, 2024 – Richmond Community College math instructor Leslie Smith found herself teaching a class with just one student in it this semester, a first for her in her 16 years as a teacher. Even more interestingly, the one student is a former Scotland High School classmate of hers whom she hadn’t seen in over 30 years. Smith now sees Shawn Campbell twice a week in her two-hour Math 110 class at the Scotland County Campus.
“Shawn’s never late for class; he never misses a day of class; and he has a high A in the class,” Smith said. “He’s been an excellent student.”
Campbell and Smith are both from Laurinburg, and they vaguely knew each other when they were at Scotland High together. Campbell, however, dropped out at the age of 16.
“I was running the streets, and I was not interested in education at the time,” he said.
Four years later, Campbell was convicted of a serious crime, and he was sentenced to prison. He served 11 ½ years in several different prisons from 1997 to 2008.
In the Box, Out of the Box
Campbell went to prison as a young man of 20 and came out at the age of 31 to a very different world.
“I was in the box, and then I’m out of the box. It was like, welcome to reality,” Campbell said.
Part of that reality for Campbell was making sure he did not go back in. Shortly after he was released, he began working on getting his GED through RichmondCC. He didn’t have a car, so Campbell walked several miles to the adult education classes held at the Speller Building in downtown Laurinburg when he couldn’t catch a ride. In 2011, he passed the GED test and received his high school diploma. This was just the beginning of what’s become a life-long educational journey for Campbell.
Work. School. Work. School.
Campbell managed to stay out of trouble, even though he admits there were times he feared he might be headed back down the wrong path. He got a job working as a forklift driver and worked for various warehouses. He was also attending classes at RichmondCC, earning certificates in electrical wiring, welding, heating and air conditioning, refrigeration, machining and other industrial maintenance courses. In 2017, he was hired by Smithfield Foods and became a warehouse supervisor. Last February, however, Campbell had to quit his position at Smithfield due to injuries he had suffered on the job.
“I’ve been out of work ever since then, so I said I might as well just keep going to school and get all I can get,” Campbell said.
On May 17, Campbell will once again be walking across the stage at RichmondCC, this time to receive a diploma in Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration. But this is not the end of the road for him at RichmondCC. By spring 2025, he will have all the classes he needs for an associate degree in Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration and a diploma in Industrial Maintenance.
Education: It Is Life-changing
At RichmondCC, Campbell said he has found a support group who has been encouraging him and helping him over the years. Campbell ended up in the Math 110 class with Smith because he needs it for his diploma in heating and air conditioning.
“The College did not cancel the class due to lack of enrollment because it’s not his fault that he needs this class and that this is the only time it is offered,” Smith said. “For him, however, this was a great setting. It has set him up for success.”
Knowing that he was going to struggle with math, Campbell reached out to the Academic Success Center at RichmondCC to arrange for a tutor, but he ended up not needing one.
“If every student took the initiatives that he has taken, it would make my job easier,” Smith joked. “He’s really come a long way. I’m so proud of him.”
Smith wants people to know Campbell’s story because he is a true example of how education can change someone’s life.
“And that’s why we are teachers. It’s very heartwarming,” she said.
It has also given her a new perspective going forward.
“One thing I have been reminded of in this experience is the value of small class sizes, especially in math where students sometimes struggle,” Smith said. “I’ve learned people can go really, really far when they have the help they need.”
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