(COLUMBIA, SC) Columbia College has announced that Carol Hampton Rasco, national president and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental, Inc., will serve as the College's May Commencement speaker on Saturday, May 1, 11 a.m., at the Township Auditorium.
Throughout her life, Rasco has been a devoted advocate for children, youth, and families, both as a professional and as a volunteer. Before joining RIF -- America's oldest and largest nonprofit children's and family literacy organization -- she was executive director for government relations at the College Board; served as senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley; and directed the U.S. Department of Education's America Reads Challenge. During her tenure at the Department of Education, she also assisted with the focus on early childhood development and implemented the Federal Work-Study literacy tutoring program.
Earlier in her career, Rasco worked for four years in the White House as domestic policy adviser to the President and directed the Domestic Policy Council. The Council, composed of cabinet secretaries and heads of domestic agencies, is responsible for shaping, implementing, and articularing the President's domestic policy.
A native of Arkansas, Rasco holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas and a master's degree from the University of Central Arkansas. She worked for ten years as the chief policy adviser in the Arkansas Governor's Office and served as the liaison to the National Governor's Association. In addition, she has taught in the public school system, worked as a middle-school counselor, and has extensive experience as a volunteer in arts organizations, disability advocacy groups, and the United Methodist Church.
