Education is a family legacy for many Husky families, and the Turner family is a shining example.
Father and son Elvin Turner ’93 MBA, president of Turner Consulting LLC in Hartford, and Daniel Turner ’15 (ENG), will speak about their family’s educational legacy at the Legacy Breakfast at the Alumni Center on Sept. 22. The event is sponsored by the UConn Alumni Association, and is part of Family Weekend.
Of the more than 225,000 UConn alumni worldwide, many are grandparents, parents, and/or siblings of legacy students currently attending the University.
If you are an alum and have a child, grandchild, or sibling currently attending UConn, celebrate your UConn legacy at the Legacy Breakfast. Meet other legacy families and share your UConn experiences with your current student.
For more information or to register, visit http://uconnalumni.com/legacy or call Ashley Pedersen at 860.486.2526.
The decision to attend UConn was an easy one for Daniel Turner, a sophomore majoring in engineering and management. “It’s great to be a part of what my father experienced,” he says. “We feel very connected.”
Growing up, Daniel recalls his parents stressing the importance of an education. “While my friends struggled in high school, I excelled because I had a solid foundation,” he says. “It’s come in very handy, especially since the engineering program at UConn pushes you to reach your full potential, and expects a lot from you. Someday, I will tell my children that their grandparents instilled the value of education in me. It’s something that I will pass on to them.”
The value of higher education is ingrained in the Turner family. In addition to his MBA from UConn, Elvin Turner holds a degree in economics and political science from Yale University, and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
A highly accomplished man, Elvin is an industry analyst who established his own financial services company, a writer, speaker, inventor, and a deacon of his church. He earned his UConn MBA while working full time as a securities attorney.
“I was at a crossroads in my legal career, and I remember sitting in one of my MBA classes, realizing how I could apply the knowledge gained from the classroom to the business world,” says Elvin. “At that moment, I knew that I was getting tremendous value from UConn.”
Elvin says his father, who earned two master’s degrees, also knew the importance of an education. “He was a maverick, an independent thinker,” Elvin says. “He would invite international students from his alma mater, the University of Michigan, to our home, and hold stimulating discussions with them around the dinner table.” Elvin’s uncle was the first African-American to hold statewide elected office in Michigan, serving as Michigan’s Secretary of State for 23 years. Both men served as his role models. Elvin also speaks with equal pride about his paternal grandfather, who was a coal miner, and his maternal grandfather, a farmer.
“Although I have an Ivy League background, my UConn experience is just as special to me,” says Elvin. “I hold the management principles that I learned at UConn in the highest regard. I received a great education and continue to benefit from that experience. I’m grateful to the University for giving me the superb management training that has contributed to my success.”
Elvin says he is looking forward to speaking, together with his son, at the Legacy Breakfast during Family Weekend. “The Legacy Breakfast is such an important program,” he says. “It cements the relationships of parents with their children in an academic setting. It’s tremendously enriching for me, and I encourage more UConn legacy families to be a part of this experience.”
