Why Tyrone Turner-Perry Didn't Give Up While Earning His Degree

Tyrone R. Turner-Perry ’25 was the first of his siblings to earn a college degree. He said that goal — and, ultimately, achievement — kept him motivated throughout his time at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

After earning his general education associate degree at SNHU, he kept plugging away at the work to earn his bachelor’s degree in communication. And he’s not done yet: He has plans to get his master’s degree next.

A Degree for Advocacy 

Turner-Perry is a teacher in Massachusetts, where he works with autistic children ranging from fifth to eighth grade. They were the reason he decided to study communication.

“I chose that because a lot of my students ... they don't have a way of communicat(ing),” he said. “So, I'm the advocate for them, and I like to speak out for, you know, their rights, and they have to be heard.”

It wasn’t always easy, but Turner-Perry said his academic advisor pushed him to keep going.

“I call him my brother,” he said about his advisor. “He's been with me through thick and thin from the beginning... He never gave up on me.”

Building a Legacy Across Generations

While communication was a decision Turner-Perry made for his students, the degree itself was for four generations of loved ones. Going to college served as inspiration for his siblings — and proof that it can be done.

“It's so funny because I got my siblings now wanting to go to school because they see me, what I did because of the drive and everything that we've been through — our family’s been through,” Turner-Perry said. "They see I never gave up.”

It was his father and grandmother, both of whom passed away in the last few years, who gave him the “Don’t give up” mantra that helped him see his program through.

“I just keep hearing my dad and my grandmother's voice in my head that says, like, ‘Don't give up. You came this far. Don't give up,’” he said.

And lastly, setting out to earn his college degree as a working adult was an example Turner-Perry set for his kids.

“I also am doing it for my children to let them know that ... it doesn't matter what age you are, you still can go get your degree,” he said. "It doesn't matter how long it takes, as long as you just get it.”

Rebecca LeBoeuf Blanchette '18 '22G is a writer at Southern New Hampshire University, where she fulfills her love of learning daily through conversations with professionals across a range of fields. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing at SNHU’s campus in Manchester, New Hampshire, and followed her love of storytelling into the online Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing at SNHU. Connect with her on LinkedIn.