Sophomore Timothy Turner is experiencing dorm life in Sparrowk Hall at the age of 59.
He graduated from Thomas A. Edison High School in Philadelphia in 1969 and then served with the United States in the Vietnam War before getting married on June 13, 1970.
His wife Yolanda Turner has no objection to Timothy Turner’s education at Eastern. She is currently raising their 15-month-old granddaughter at home. Turner visits her on weekends.
Turner’s father wanted him to attend Lincoln Prep after he graduated High School. “I wasn’t ready before,” Turner said. “I was a ‘C’ student and I didn’t think college was important.”
Later, while working as a prison guard, Turner felt he was lacking something.
He started attending Eastern in The City in 2008 and did well during his first year. Two of Turner’s professors at EIC, Omar Barlow and Jeanine Barlow, inspired him to attend and reside at the St. David’s campus.
Although he had many anxieties, these professors encouraged him to further his education here.
“I was scared that other students would look at me and say, ‘What’s this old guy doing here?'” Turner said.
His experience has been much different than what he thought it would be. Turner finds the students on campus to be “very respectful” and “hospitable.”
“I’m the first boy to go to college in my family,” Turner said. This explains his drive and positive attitude as he works hard to graduate with a double major in theology and history. After graduation, he plans to get his master’s degree at Palmer Seminary.
In his spare time Turner likes to work out in the gym. He also has a job at the University of the Arts as a security guard.
Turner’s advice for other hard-working students at Eastern is to “don’t take this for granted. Take advantage of whatever’s available to you (and) persevere. Just keep going.
“Don’t be afraid of me,” Turner said. “I’m glad that I’m here and if any students want to talk to me, I’m willing to talk to them.”