| Innocent Turner
When you ask Innocent Turner, age 18, what she wants to be when she grows up, she looks you right in the eye and tells you “a pediatric dentist.” She has a comprehensive life plan that involves attending Ursinus College in the fall to major in chemistry, and later pursuing dentistry at the University of Southern California. It will not be easy, but Innocent will do it. She has already conquered many difficult things in her young life.
While Innocent explains that she is "one of four children born to a troubled, drug-addicted mother,” she does not allow it to define her life. Several years ago, when her family entered the Dignity II transitional housing program, Innocent says she began to feel her horizons expand in a positive direction.
Through her participation with the After-School Program she was granted experiences she may have otherwise never encountered. The Awbury Arboretum and local horse stables were a few of her favorite field trips. Not only did she learn about different trees, and the proper way to groom a horse, she also learned that there were all sorts of exciting things to be discovered beyond her difficult family situation.
Innocent has turned discovery into inspiration, and run with it. A senior at Girls High, she has immersed herself in a myriad of activities. She maintains a 3.6 GPA and is President and founder of the Caribbean Club, a peer tutor, a member of the Gospel Choir, Ecology Club, and Writer’s Café. She has also been accepted into the National Spanish and Science Honor Societies.
Her hard work has paid off. Innocent was accepted into college and awarded one of Dignity’s Education and Life Skills Scholarships to help offset some of her college expenses. She will also be participating in Dignity's Summer Internship Program, working in the organization's Fund Development Division to restore donated computers and assist with administrative projects.
Dignity’s staff is so proud of Innocent and wishes her the absolute best as she continues to work hard to overcome obstacles and turn her dreams into reality.
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