With grand ambitions to become president of the United States, Byron Turner believes he has an open mind.
A native of Bowling Green, Ky. since his family moved from Nashville, Tenn., when he was 5, Turner said he plans on becoming a presidential candidate in 2040. And he has mapped out a plan that he said will lead him to success.
“It’ll be a smooth transition,” Turner said. “First, I’ll become a lawyer turned politician. Next, I’ll become the mayor. Then, I’m going to be a member of the House.”
As a candidate, Turner said he will be open-minded and look out for all people, not just people he knows, and he will take the initiative to be a leader instead of a follower.
For now, Turner is in the 12th grade at Bowling Green High School. He participates in extracurricular activities such as cross-country and track. He also videotapes events like pep rallies and blood drives for his school website.
“One week at school people were getting sick a lot so my teacher told me to take a handy-cam and videotape people in general,” Turner said. “It turned out the same day I was taping that a girl got sick and ran to the bathroom to throw up. She was running and I was right behind her the whole time. I caught her throwing up.”
Even with so many activities on his plate, Turner still manages to be a high-ranking student. He has a 3.85 GPA and plans on attending college.
“My mom is my biggest inspiration because she raised four kids by herself and provided for us even when we didn’t have much,” Turner said.
In his free time, Turner said, likes to hang out with his friends, play basketball and sleep.
He learned about the WKU Summer Xposure Workshop through his English teacher.
Turner has never been a part of his school newspaper or yearbook but this year he will be a member of the yearbook staff. He said he hopes to learn new skills at the Xposure workshop that he can take back to school and share with his classmates.
Ashanti Banks
Benjamin Bosse High School, Evansville Ind.