Alumnae Profiles
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Sylvia Darlene Turner '00
Sylvia Darlene Turner '00
Sylvia Darlene Turner graduated in 2000 with a self-designed major, Social Policy. Dr. Turner lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and works at the University of Tennessee as the Associate Director for the Haslam Scholars Program. When asked about the best thing about her education at Agnes Scott College, Dr. Turner says,”I had an opportunity to meet amazing women doing incredible things ... from traveling and studying abroad to serving the community and engaging in research. I learned from and beside some of the most brilliant women I have ever met!” Dr. Turner’s favorite classes were Latin American Societies, African Societies from the Colonial Era to Present, Gender Politics, African American Images in Popular Culture, and Urban Sociology. She says, “These courses challenged the way I interpreted the social and political world and allowed me to view the world through the experiences of people who had different experiences from my own.” The most important thing she learned from Agnes Scott was that she was prepared for whatever life threw at her. Dr. Turner did not fully realize this until she left Agnes Scott and started graduate school. A liberal arts degree showed Dr. Turner how to look at situations from different experiences and gave her a broad knowledge base. She says, “After I left Agnes Scott I knew I wanted to be a student and a scholar forever. I continue to have broad interests and enjoy meeting people from various backgrounds.”
Kirnel Daniel '12
Kirnel Daniel '12
Kirnel Daniel was a psychology major and lives in Fayetteville, Georgia. As a doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at Georgia State University, she believes that the lasting and meaningful relationships she formed with her peers, faculty and staff at the college were essential for her educational experience. “It really is a family at Agnes. I grew and matured so much personally and academically, it really increased my self-confidence.” Among her favorite courses were Intro to Logic, education courses with Dr. Coia and Dr. Emert, and senior seminar with Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown, which advanced her research and writing skills tremendously. When asked about the most helpful thing she learned at Agnes Scott College, Kirnel replied, “Learning how to successfully work together with individuals and groups of people who were very similar and also drastically different from myself. I was open to others’ opinions, anticipating that those interactions could in some way make me a better person.” Ms. Daniel also has a deep appreciation for liberal learning. “The amount of variety that a liberal arts degree exposes you to is essential in today’s world.” She happily reports that her Agnes Scott education modeled the kind of lifestyle she wants, and that she appreciates it both personally and professionally.
Sarah Scoles '07
Sarah Scoles '07
Sarah Scoles is a science writer who graduated in 2007 with an Astrophysics major. She now lives in Berkeley, Calif. The most helpful thing she learned at Agnes Scott was problem solving. She says, “I learned how to take a problem – whether in science, literature, writing, or philosophy – and break it into parts so I could analyze and solve it. Or at least try!” Her favorite courses at Agnes Scott were Astrophysical Dynamics, Multivariable Calculus, and the Creative Writing Workshops. The best thing about Sarah’s education here at Agnes Scott was learning to think critically and hear other opinions while learning to defend her own. Sarah’s job as a science writer requires her to become quickly familiar with a lot of different disciplines and then write about them in a fun and easily understood way. She thinks “that is kind of what a liberal arts degree is all about!”
Safron Smith '14
Safron Smith '14
Safron Smith now lives in Weno, Chuuk, in the Federated States of Micronesia. She is a WorldTeach volunteer teaching ninth grade math at Chuuk High School. She majored in psychology at Agnes Scott, where her favorite courses were Social Psychology, Introduction to Counseling, and The Art of Education. Safron believes the best part of her education at Agnes Scott is that she had the opportunity to study a variety of subjects that interested her. A liberal arts education taught Safron to think deeply and freely, and helped prepare her for life after college by making her well rounded. When asked about the most helpful thing she learned at Agnes Scott College, she says, “I learned that I should and could take charge as an individual, but more importantly as a woman. Alongside that, I learned that I define my identity and my destiny.”