I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

Going to college was always Jeffery Turnipseed’s goal – it was never a question of if but a question of where the Calera, Alabama, native would attend.

“My high school math teacher went to Auburn and it wasn’t until hearing my teacher talk about her love for this school and being introduced to the Auburn Family. I thought it was a cliché at first but once I learned more about the Auburn Family, I knew Auburn was for me,” said Turnipseed, a senior in computer engineering.

“The Auburn Family is something that I’ve literally felt from the time that I was thinking of coming to Auburn to the first time I stepped on campus, and it’s something that I know I’ll be a part of once I leave.”

Turnipseed is the first generation of his family to attend college.

It’s an opportunity he does not take lightly.

“I’m all about embracing life and educating myself,” he said. “I’m setting an example for future generations of my family and my community to go to college and be inspired to pursue their dreams and passions, too.”

Throughout his Auburn Engineering experience, Turnipseed has taken advantage of opportunities to get involved to grow personally and professionally, from intramural sports to the Engineering Academic Excellence Program.

“From being involved, I know there is an expectation for Auburn students to be great, not just for Auburn but for the community as well,” he said. “It’s about pushing us to be better than we are and better than we were. It’s truly about developing character. Everyone is a leader when they leave Auburn University.”