Distinguished Alumnus:
Leah H. Turner '71, '91
BS, MS, Nursing
Leah Turner was born and raised in Hartford, Conn. In 1971, she earned a B.S. in Nursing, graduating in WestConn's second Nursing class. She worked as a staff nurse in Fairfield County until 1979, when she took a position in the Norwalk Public School system as a staff nurse for Head Start. In 1989 she became the Coordinator of School Health Services for the Norwalk Public School system.
In 1991, Turner earned an M.S. in Nursing from WestConn. Pursuing this degree was a goal she'd set for herself as an undergraduate. Turner chose WestConn because of the quality of the program and its affordability. It took six years, attending part-time while working two jobs and raising her two children. Her then supervisor was nearing retirement and she wanted to be academically prepared to apply for that position, should it become available. However, in graduate school she learned that many other professional options would be available to her with a graduate degree.
Turner has been a NCSN, Nationally Certified School Nurse, since 1990.
She was awarded the 2003 School Nurse Supervisor of the Year from
Association of School Nurses of Connecticut. In September 2002, she received
the WCSU Centennial Award for Excellence. Turner has also been recognized as
the Carver Community Center Woman of the Year in 2007. She continues to
serve the WestConn community as a member of the Board of the WCSU Nursing
Alumni Society and is active in planning and advising on the society’s
events and programs.
