Leslie Turner, IU Southeast alumna and financial aid counselor, has a passion for helping students find hope and achieve their lifelong dreams.
In addition to the work she does in the Office of Financial Aid, Turner writes life stories of individuals and posts them to her blog, “Returning to Health in my 50s.”
Turner created her blog three years ago as a collection of inspirational stories from many different people who have faced and overcome life-threatening situations.
The name of her blog, she said, comes from her recent accomplishment to become healthier, return to school and complete her degree.
Turner said she has made it her personal mission to help others enjoy similar success and to inspire with her writing.
Born and raised in Westerville, Ohio, her first attempt as a student was at Ohio State University. She began pursuing a music degree but would not be able to finish it until 20 years later.
“I dropped out of school and fell in love — just as you hear so often,” Turner said. “My wonderful husband, Paul, and I headed off to California. We lived in the Sacramento area and it was extremely beautiful.”
After having three children in California, the company that owned her husband’s music store asked him to relocate.
The family was given several choices and they chose New Albany as their next place of residence. It was here, Turner said, that she decided she was unhappy and needed a change.
“It was difficult because I wanted to be home with my kids more,” Turner said. “Here I was living two miles away from IU Southeast and passing it several times a day, thinking of how badly I would like to finish my degree.”
Turner said she finally achieved her goal in 2001, when she graduated with a music degree and a minor in business.
During her time as a student, she was able to participate in a work-study program for the IT department. She said she made an impression on several key faculty members, which she said helped when she was hired in 2004 to work full-time in the Office of Financial Aid.
“We like to say we make students’ dreams a reality,” Turner said. “Often times students come in here thinking money is the solution or the problem, with regard to them returning and completing school. But, money is hardly ever the problem or solution.”
Turner has found time for other interests, such as writing, in addition to her work for the school. She said writing has played a large part in many of her jobs, but she never had time to write recreationally.
“I’ve always loved it but kept making excuses for not having time,” she said. “Now, instead of eating or watching TV as I did in the past, I use writing as a reward to myself for making good, healthy decisions.”
Turner said she and her husband were literally forced to remove the television from the living room and delete all games from her computer. Instead of doing things she considered a waste of time, she wanted to put her free time into something that she really loved.
With all of the distractions gone, she said was able to put more time into her writing.
“I had met all of these amazing people with amazing stories,” she said. “I needed a way to tell the stories and I had hoped to eventually put them in a book, but the blog is the nexus I use to get the stories to the readers.”
Paul Turner, her husband, says he is blown away by the amount of attention her blog receives. Her blog receives between 5,000 and 7,000 readers a month.
“I still can’t fathom what the numbers mean,” he said. “I am so proud of her; she is able to do what she loves. Of course, I am always sure to be on my best behavior so I don’t end up as the next subject of one of her stories.”
Included on the blog are life stories filled with miracles and other inspirational works.
Turner said many times students come into her office with information on a friend or family member who would like her to tell their story. She then goes through a process of meeting the individual and conducting interviews before the story is posted.
“I am writing about a couple who live in Florida and I, thankfully, just got to spend a week down there,” she said. “They are amazing, powerful, and asked me to write their story.”
Turner said the people she writes about feel the process is fulfilling, rewarding and often grants them a sense of closure or purpose.
“These stories are inspiring to me,” she said. “I am hoping others find them inspiring as well.”
By BRETT HANCOCK
Staff
brjhanco@ius.edu