Meet Cindy Turley in the Student Success Center
College can be an overwhelming time for students, and that’s why the Student Success Center was created in the heart of campus–in the Thomas Commons.
The staff helps answer students’ questions, talks through challenges with them, and finds a resource for every need.
This year the Student Success Center welcomed Cindy Turley to the team as the coordinator of student-athlete development. Turley worked at Cornell years ago as a faculty member and head women’s track coach. Now she’s back after working in several other colleges and high schools.
“In my new position at Cornell, I work with current and former student-athletes to help make sure they have a positive experience,” Turley said. “I help students develop academic skills, help them get back on track if their block has taken a turn, help them find necessary services on campus, or we can just sit and chat.”
What’s the best thing about your job?
Being able to work with students who are in the most exciting and challenging part of their lives is the best part of my job. They have left the comfort of their homes, which they had for the first 18 years of their lives. They start at a residential school, living with a residence hall full of people, and start One Course At A Time. Through their four years, they each figure out who they are as a person, learn everything that a liberal arts education offers, and develop the skills, strengths, and fortitude to go on to achieve great things for the rest of their lives. It is such an exciting time for each student at Cornell, and I am honored to be able to be part of their journey.
What are one or two things about your work at the Student Success Center that you’d like students to know about?
Every student in college will face challenges that seem overwhelming. When this happens, know that everyone in our office is here, and we are ready to help you talk through these challenges and come up with workable solutions. We can help you through struggles with academics but we can also help you find other resources.
What are your goals as the new coordinator of student-athlete development?
I want to help students when they are stuck and help develop programming that will specifically help student-athletes. I also want to continue to get to know the student-athletes and attend as many athletic and non-athletic activities as possible.
What is your day-to-day work like and how can students meet with you?
I split my time between meeting with student-athletes and coaches, attending planning meetings, attending events on campus, and planning for future programming and activities. Students should meet with me if they have any questions about academics, if they’re having trouble with a block, or if they are struggling with something and do not know who to ask for help. It will happen to everyone at some time and often just checking in once can give a student an idea for a way to study or how to find available help to get them through a tough time. The link to schedule an appointment with me is: https://cindyturley.youcanbook.me/
What are your interests?
In my spare time, I like to walk, play pickleball, bike, and downhill ski. I enjoy travel and did a Caribbean cruise over Christmas that visited seven new countries for me. I enjoy working with dogs, and I have done agility training with our family dogs. We have trained five service dogs. We have a home in Belize (my husband, Jason Turley ’93, commutes between Belize and our home here in Mount Vernon). When I am in Belize, I like to snorkel, fish, swim, and enjoy the island lifestyle.
I moved here from Owatonna, Minnesota, but I am “from” many different places. I have lived in six different states and two countries. Coming back to Cornell has allowed my family and I to come full circle to where my husband and I started our careers and our lives together. We met at Cornell while I taught and coached, and he worked in the Office of Admission.
