Meet our Volunteers: Jesse Campbell

For Jesse Campbell, growing up down the road from the public library in the southern Alberta community of Crowsnest Pass was a big deal.

“I was in there all the time,” says Campbell, now 28 years old. A former geologist, Campbell recently returned to university for medical school. “Reading triggered curiosity in me as a kid, and I
believe that has helped me in all aspects of life. I just wanted to be able to help other kids feel the same way.”

To that end, Campbell started volunteering with Calgary Public Library a year ago, with the School Support program (formerly Homework Help). Campbell heads to Nose Hill Library once a week to help students in Grade 1 to Grade 6 with school assignments.

Campbell enjoyed that experience so much, he picked up another volunteer assignment—at Crowfoot Library. With the Learning Advantage program, Campbell helps an adult develop basic
reading, writing, and numeracy skills. “I like being able to have a one-on-one interaction, to sit across from someone and feel like I’m having a direct impact,” he says.

Both volunteer gigs have come with a bonus benefit. “I think it’s easy to get detached from your community a little bit, and volunteering in these positions has made me feel so much more
connected to my community,” he says.

Just as Campbell’s early library experience played a defining role in his life, his volunteer work at Calgary Public Library is making a difference in the lives of others.

If you’d like to join the Library’s team of volunteers, please visit the Volunteers page.