Ever since Zion Turner was very young, he’s had a love for technology.
“My family keeps telling me that when I was little, I used to take things apart,” he says. “Computers, TVs, or VCR players, to see how they work. Then I’d try to put them back together. I wanted to learn how to fix them.”
Turner has wanted to turn his longtime interest into a business. And it’s not just because he likes tooling with tech, but because he knows it will be a service to other people. “I want to make things that help people make their life easier,” he explains. “When I think about the modern age, everything that we do and need, it came down to two categories: phones or chairs. Those are the two things that help you relax and make things easier and better over time.”
His family is one of his biggest inspirations. His grandfather and uncle are both business owners.
“They have a whole lot of people they’ve connected with around Greensboro,” he says. “People know they can call them and get help. That inspired me to want to do stuff like that. I can help others in the same way they did.”
That spark of inspiration has now reached a fulfilling milestone as Turner prepares for UNC Greensboro’s Spring 2025 Commencement ceremony on May 8, along with more than 2,000 other undergraduates.
Above and Beyond
Turner grew up in Greensboro and went to Dudley High School. After graduation, his family enrolled him in a local career college to take a technology course. But they realized it was not quite right for Turner. “Everything was moving so fast. I couldn’t get it into my head very quickly,” he explains.
That challenge partly comes from being diagnosed with autism. When he and his family looked at other college programs, they discovered Integrative Community Studies (ICS) at UNCG, a program geared specifically toward helping students like Turner earn four-year certificates.
Like all students when they first step onto campus, he was awed and a little nervous. “But I wanted to get out my shell and talk to people,” he says.
ICS, which was originally known as Beyond Academics, is one of the oldest programs of its kind in the country. Turner joined about 30 other students who are not letting intellectual disabilities get in the way of their college dreams.
ICS is personalized to the goals of its participants, whether that be a successful career like what Turner wants or the life skills to become more independent. They can take classes alongside other UNCG students or specialized courses tailored to their unique circumstances.
In it for the Experience
Turner works closely with ICS staff like Alicia Streeter, a student resource coordinator, to develop a support plan to get the most out of every class. Courses in the Bryan School of Business and Economics were particularly rewarding. “How to spend money and time management,” he says. “Knowing everything you need to do for each week, each month. That’s the most important thing that I learned from them.”
Turner also found shared experiences and hobbies that led to friendships. He joined UNCG’s thriving esports community after taking a course on game design. The Esports Arena and the Kaplan Center gym became two of his favorite places to take a break from the demands of classwork. Life at UNCG helped him realize that he could step out of his shell and try new things.
“I’ve been spending the last few years walking outside, talking to others,” he says. “It gives me a lot more confidence than where I was.”
Moreover, Turner feels that he is better prepared than ever. He has a potential job opportunity to become an assembler at a Greensboro company called Core Technology. He will continue to pick up skills that push him toward his next dream – to follow in his grandfather and uncle’s footsteps.
“I know part of my family went to college, but I thought if I go, I would just be learning things I already halfway know,” he says. “But I was wrong. It gave me more and more pathways. And it gave me a whole lot of offers that I didn’t expect.”
New Pathways
Turner is already living out his goal of helping other people with technology. In between classes and esports, he serves his fellow students, his faculty, and the campus staff as an employee for 6-Tech, the division of ITS that helps fix and troubleshoot problems with computers and software.
And in his last year, he got to share his story with the community. He sat down for an interview with Triad Today host Jim Longworth, who interviewed him and ICS Director Lisa Pluff about all the good work coming out of the program.
Turner is thrilled to share in the celebration of commencement with his fellow students and family who have been with him every step of the way.
“I know they’ll be yelling and screaming my name,” he laughs. “I’ll be a little embarrassed, but that’s my family.”
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
CELEBRATE OUR GRADS!
Graduates and their families are encouraged to share their accomplishments on social media by tagging the University accounts and using the hashtag #UNCGGrad. Visit UNCG’s digital swag page for Commencement-themed graphics and templates.
Mention @UNCG in celebratory posts on Instagram and X and @uncgreensboro on TikTok.
