Turner’s life changed by DSU

September 26, 2022

Meg Turner spent eight years in the Army, and was stationed in Sioux Falls, S.D., when she became a Trojan. Today, she is living in her home state of Texas where she will be student teaching this fall.

“I would just like to say that DSU has changed my life,” she said. “From the administrative faculty to every professor I have had, every single member of the DSU team has been kind and helpful. I have been endlessly impressed by this school, and I am so proud to be a student here.”

As she considered her future after the Army, she was looking to find a job that still gave back to her community in some way. One of the soldiers she worked with shared the DSU program with her, which led her to enroll in the Elementary Education/Special Education (ELED/SPED) program in the Fall of 2019.

After graduating high school, Turner spent one year at Texas A&M, but was forced to drop out to take care of her mother, who became critically ill, and died.

“When I was able to go back to school, I was a full-time soldier and mom of two infants,” she explained. “I knew that the traditional in-person route to a degree was off the table for me, and I was so excited to start working on an online degree program from such a reputable university.”

The program enabled her to continue working and supporting her family financially while still working toward her goal of becoming a college graduate.

“It really breaks through the financial barrier for non-traditional students to complete degrees,” she said.

 “I simply cannot say enough good things about the ELED/SPED online program I have been a part of at DSU,” she said. “The instructors have really done a fantastic job of building relationships, even over a digital environment.”

Turner found many of her professors and instructors immensely influential, especially Instructor Kindra Schneider.

“She really knows how to push you academically, and her passion for teaching is inspiring,” Turner said. “She gives such in-depth feedback on every single assignment, and because of this, I have seen the most notable progress in my abilities in pedagogy relating to the classes in which she was my professor.”

As Turner prepares for her year of student teaching, she has had the opportunity to get out into schools and compare her schooling to what other students have received from other universities.

“I have found that DSU’s program has prepared me so much,” she said.

Turner recommends the program because it is so well done, and the professors are incredible, noting the positive feedback she’s received from teachers and school staff while completing hours of observation and student teaching.