Home > Sheryl Turner
Retiree Spotlight
Sheryl Turner
Since her retirement in 2009 as Manager, Learning Deployment and Support, Sheryl Turner has continued her quest to visit all seven continents. She has only one continent left before she fulfills her lifelong dream. Read to learn which continent that is.
The ink was barely dry on her retirement papers before Sheryl increased her volunteer work at her church. It had always been a passion of hers to work behind the scene at her church in an effort to enhance the day-to-day operations. During the first four months of her retirement, the church was in the process of moving to a new location. Sheryl began working five to six days a week in her role as team lead of the Relocation Team. According to Sheryl, “It didn’t even feel like I had retired, but I loved it! Once we moved things slowed a bit, but I didn’t. I assisted in the development of a new church operations plan, got involved in teaching classes, became a mentor to new church members, served as a spiritual counselor, and led some of our meditation services.”
Being retired has not only allowed Sheryl to increase her involvement in her church, but it has given her the ability to pursue a flexible travel schedule — her dream came true. She’s had the travel bug for as long as she can remember. According to Sheryl, it was probably because her job in Affirmative Action required weekend travel to career awareness conferences that took her to every state — even Hawaii and Alaska. There are only two states she has not visited — North and South Dakota. She plans to travel to those two states in the near future,
Since retirement, Sheryl has traveled to Israel, Argentina, Uruguay, Dubai (UAE), Falkland Islands, Chile, and Antarctica. Her goal is to touch all seven continents. Her recent trip to Antarctica was a big accomplishment — it was her sixth continent. It was supposed to be her seventh, but due to a travel snafu in January, her trip to Australia was cancelled. But she’s sure she’ll get there. People are always asking Sheryl what countries are on the horizon — and her response is, “They all are. I enjoy experiencing and understanding other cultures and there’s a big world out there for me to explore.”
Click here to view enlarge photographs.
Sheryl said she pinches herself almost every day. “To be able to have the time to enjoy my church work and travel; and at the same time know that the “check is in the mail — I mean the bank — is truly a dream come true.”
People are always asking Sheryl what countries are on the horizon — and her response is, “They all are..."