Let
me begin by saying thank you for visiting THINKHBCU.ORG
My name is Brian Turner. I am a
native of Akron, Ohio and a proud graduate of Central State University,
which is located in Wilberforce, Ohio. I owe CSU a lot of
credit for the person that I am today. The college offered me a partial
academic scholarship when I was in high school and I made the most of that
situation.
Now my story. When I went to
enroll for the first time as a freshmen I discovered that all of my
financial aid paperwork had not been processed. In short, that meant
that I did not have enough money
to stay in school. After holding out on campus for about a week I
went back to my dorm room and packed up my two foot lockers to go back
home. I was smart enough to know that I
needed to keep enough money to purchase myself a one way bus ticket back
to Akron based on the way things were going. I called my mother (who
had attended CSU for three years), told her about my situation and stated
that I would be back home tomorrow. She asked me wasn't there anyone
I could talk too. I said "Mom,
I've talked to everyone I could think of other than the president.
I'm at the point of where I'm only eating once a day. I'm out of here!
As I was walking out of the dorm with my foot
lockers Mr. James Lasley, the freshman hall dorm
director, asked me where was I going?
I said "I'm going home Mr. Lasley. The dean said that I didn't have
enough money to stay in school." Mr. Lasley then said; Take
those footlockers back up to your room and get back down here. Your
parents just dropped you off! Mr.
Lasley made some telephone calls and about twenty minutes later he
instructed me to go to the Busar's office and who to see. One of the
busar's assistant had typed up a promissory agreement which enable me to
register for classes. Although I knew that I was going
to attend Central State, I had also joined the Marines Reserves and
completed boot camp just before the start of freshman orientation.
As fate would have it, I was able to use pending reserve drill income to
make installment payments until the rest of my financial aid
arrived. I did not have any textbooks for the
first two weeks of the quarter, but I was in class and taking notes.
As I learned in boot camp, all I needed
was a "Ray of Hope", which
also became my Student Government campaign slogan three years later when I
ran for the position of vice president and won.
After my initial experience, things
turned out well for me. While attending CSU, I was an anatomy and
physiology tutor, worked as a resident hall assistant, student
firefighter/EMTA, served as the Student Government Vice President and
pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated (Eta Gamma Chapter). I graduated in 1987 with a
Bachelor degree in Health Education and a zero balance!
Four years later I earned a Masters degree in Education from the
University of Akron and served as an adjunct instructor teaching sports
marketing and sports management courses. After almost twenty years of
service with the Akron Area YMCA, I left to become the College Access
Coordinator with Project GRAD Akron for three years. Project GRAD is a college bound preparatory program for high school
students which also provides them with a scholarship for college. As
of the fall of 2010 I became a full time marketing technology instructor
for Akron Pubic Schools.
I think it is fair to say that if Mr.
James "Blade" Lasley, was not not in the dorm when I was
about to leave I might not be a HBCU alumnus and advocate today. To
date, over 25 members of my family have attended a HBCU dating back to the
1950's.
I'll see you on the yard!
God's Minute
"I have
only just a minute. Only sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, can't refuse
it, didn't seek it, didn't chose it, but its up to me to use it. I
will suffer if I abuse it, give account if I lose it. Just a tiny
little minute but eternity is in it."
-Dr.
Benjamin E. Mays Morehouse College
