The Sedalia School District Foundation announces Arthur Seabury Jr. as the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award. Mr. Seabury is a 1975 graduate of Smith-Cotton High School. Since 2003, he has served in the Hogan Preparatory Academy District in Kansas City, Mo., as a school counselor, ISS instructor and, since 2013, as the school social worker at Hogan Prep Middle School. In his role as school social worker, he provides support to school families and students for all social needs, assisting the management team to create a supportive school culture. He is described by his nominators as a teacher and mentor who is dedicated, iconic, popular with students, generous, caring, who goes above and beyond, is an example to others, and a man of character. “Mr. Seabury is our superhero, and love, compassion, and service are his superpowers!” wrote a fellow educator at Hogan Prep.
In 2019, the Missouri Public Charter School Association recognized Mr. Seabury with an Excellence in Education Award as the Kansas City Charter School Team Leader of the Year. This award honors educators who are making a difference for children attending Kansas City’s charter schools. Recipients are described as those who have “dedicated their lives to providing the best possible education for their students,” said Douglas Thaman, executive director of the Missouri Charter Public School Association.
Mr. Seabury earned a master’s degree in Social Welfare from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Central Missouri State University, now the University of Central Missouri. In 2016, he was recognized by UCM as an outstanding educator.
He is a member-at-large on the board of directors of the School Social Workers Association of Missouri. He also has been a member or a board of directors member of the National Association of Social Workers, National Council on Substance Abuse, National Center for Fathering, and a speaker for Citizens Against Spouse Abuse. Mr. Seabury’s interests include training and mentoring social workers joining the field, and he has been a presenter at multiple state social workers conferences. He is a certified trauma practitioner and trainer. He has shared his experience and training in the fields of substance abuse, loss and grief, PTSD, and children in trauma at Hogan Preparatory Academy, Truman Medical Center, Webster University, and the National Association of School Social Workers conference. Mr. Seabury has also worked as a substance abuse counselor, family therapist, and Director of Clinical Services for the Jackson County Prosecutors’ Office.