Michael Turley 鈥16, 鈥21 stood out at the University of Central Arkansas鈥 Farris Center during the fall 2021 commencement ceremony, celebrating his newly-earned doctorate of philosophy in interdisciplinary leadership studies. Among a sea of graduates in the traditional black regalia, Turley wore purple to honor his alma mater.
His request to wear colorful regalia was tribute to his parents. His father, Martin Turley, adorned the vibrant red and gold of McGill University, and his mother, Micheline Turley, wore the crimson of the University of Southern California at their own graduation ceremonies.
鈥淚 wanted to graduate the way my parents did with colorful regalia,鈥 said Turley. 鈥淚 knew how much that meant to them.鈥
In many ways, the life and career of Turley is a love letter to his parents. He modeled life based on their successes鈥攂eing lifelong learners and pursuing a dream of educating.
Turley says that his passion for education began when he visited his father鈥檚 classroom as a child. His father worked in a public school system for 38 years in southern California as a special education teacher.
鈥淓ven then, I always wanted to work with students from watching him,鈥 he said. 鈥淭eaching mattered to him the most. He did not aspire to be a principal or administrator. He always aspired to be a master teacher.鈥
In 1987, Turley joined the United States Air Force after he earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree. He trained as a pilot and a liaison officer, and primarily served abroad, stationed in 14 time zones by his estimate. He speaks fluent French, a skill he picked up from his French-Canadian mother. He even served as a French and Italian interpreter and taught language classes to help U.S. personnel speak conversationally with their European colleagues.
Turley later shifted from a rewarding Air Force career to one in the classroom like his father. He gained a mathematics teaching position at a community college and later in the Pine Bluff School District. 鈥淎 BT天堂recruiter visited me about the Master of Arts in Teaching program,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 was always interested in the science of learning and knew that this degree could help me better teach students who struggled in high school math.鈥
Some 20 years after attending college, he found the strength to go back to school, by the example of his mother, who earned a pharmacy doctoral degree鈥攐ne of six women in her class.
He hoped to inspire his students about the value of college education by openly discussing his positive experiences as a student.
After completing his master鈥檚 degree, his father encouraged him to continue. 鈥淗e asked me, 鈥楽o what are you going to do next?鈥 That made me want to reach a higher standard in being an educator,鈥 Turley said.
That constant drive to learn more reminded him of his youth when his father would leave the house in the morning and announce that he was going to school鈥攁s if he was a student as well.
鈥淗e meant that in a literal context,鈥 said Turley. 鈥淗e often said that he learned more from his students than he could ever possibly teach them. There鈥檚 always something more to learn about how to educate.鈥
His words resonated with Turley, prompting him to apply to UCA鈥檚 doctoral degree in interdisciplinary leadership studies, a comprehensive program in the College of Education that enhances leadership qualities in all aspects of a K-12 education system. Martin Turley passed away just before his son was admitted into the program. Michael Turley knows his father would have been proud.
The program made Turley consider how teachers can be stakeholders in a student鈥檚 education, serving as mentors and leaders in and out of a classroom.
Today, he has taught for more than 30 years, and now works at the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative at their Flex Academy, where he teaches math and science students who benefit from learning in a nontraditional setting.
Meanwhile, his pursuit of more education continues as he considers postgraduate work.
鈥淲herever I attend my next commencement, I鈥檒l wear my BT天堂robes,鈥 he said, in the spirit of his parents and in gratitude to the university.