Turner, High School Student, SC
“I think that it’s important to make sure that you just show up and you help people whenever you can. And then when you might need something people want to help you.”
Turner is a high school student in South Carolina. He was interviewed as part of a #Wando High School #schoolpartnership #studentvoice project with REENVISIONED, in which students interview each other and adults in their lives, and reflect together on school and what makes a good life. He was interviewed by his friend, Anna.
Hi! Thank you so much for doing this interview.
Can you say your name and something about yourself?
Yeah I am glad to help and my name is Turner Hill. I am a sophomore in high school at the moment and yeah. And obviously I had the pleasure of spending all of middle school with Anna
Ha ha very funny so, I’m going to ask a few questions and I just want your honest opinion, I’m just trying to find out more about you and about your life and how you feel about it.
Can you talk about any big struggles that you faced in your life up until this point?
Yeah, so one thing that you know about me and pretty much everyone at school knows about me, is that I got a kidney transplant when I was three years old. Originally I was actually a twin and unfortunately, my twin brother Thompson died, and I was in the hospital and had a lot of medical issues but when I was about two years old, my kidneys started failing and my parents got tested and found out that my dad was a match for me so when I was three we all went to California and I got a kidney transplant.
How do you think that affected your childhood/ who you are now?
Well I mean, I missed the start of kindergarten so I’m a year older than everyone else in the grade, so I guess that was a part of it. But one thing that I guess I found crazy was that I didn’t have my for sleepover until seventh grade, I never played sports because I couldn’t get seriously injured at the fear that I might do something wrong to my kidney. I guess it’s just little things, I’ve had a lot of doctors appointments at MUSC and I pretty much know everyone there. But you know, ever since then I haven’t had any really big problems with my health. Sometimes when they change my medication I feel little bit weird for a few days but I usually get over it and I’ve learned to adapt to different changes.
Alright well let's get off the topic of kidneys and talk about school.
What are your favorite classes?
So I’m really interested in creative writing, I love writing poetry and short stories and things like that so I guess English. And, something new this year, I took psychology and I find it really interesting I love learning about how everything in the brain works. I really like the class and the people in my class so it’s fun.
And then outside of school what kind of things do you like to do?
I like listening to music, I used to play an instrument, I like spending time with friends. My mom is the CEO of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, so I like helping her out with anything that she needs.
Honestly, I think just spending time with my family and the people around me is just one of my favorite things to do because it’s just a breather from everything that we do in school and everything we have to deal with in life. It’s just nice to be able to walk down King Street with some friends and go get ice cream or go shopping and just joke around.
And what kind of things do you think you do that really define you as a person?
I think that it’s important to make sure that you just show and you help people whenever you can, and then when you might need something people want to help you.
I don’t think that people don’t want to help each other, but this way they’ll have a reason to help each other. I want to try variety of things. Recently I’ve been getting really interested in photography, so that’s something new that I’m trying out.
I think my final question is, what do you think makes a good and successful life?
Well that’s kind of a loaded question!
Ok, I think there are different things that go into having a good life. I guess for me growing up with so many hours in doctors offices with my parents, I developed a good friendship with them that I value so much, so definitely that.
I think that being in a place that you love is important. So I love my school and I love the people in my school and I try to go to school every day excited.
I know there are people who don’t and if you’re constantly upset about doing the stuff you have to do you’re going to be miserable and I wouldn’t consider that a very good life. I guess it’s just kind of knowing what’s good for you and being able to do that, in my eyes I think that’s really what leads to a good and successful life.
Well thank you so so much I really appreciate this: you’ve been awesome!
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