Name: Amilee Turner
Age: 25
Hometown: Lawrence, KS
Amilee Turner calls herself an old soul. Recently, she told a friend, “25 is the new 51.”
“Only for you,” the friend responded.
It’s true—in only 25 years, this KU graduate student has accomplished more than many people plan to in their entire lives. She has been building an enterprise around her passion for literature, fashion, art and education for years. Despite her busy schedule, she carries herself with an impressive grace that perfectly reflects her brand name: Wise Owl Lady.
“I see myself being a global ambassador or a foreign service officer,” she said. “I also want to play the role of a legal consultant for global conflict. So while I’m doing that, I want to have an enterprise underneath me. I’ve been working on this since I was 17.”
In those 8 years, Turner represented Lawrence in the Miss USA Pageant three times (this year will be her fourth and last), received an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Fashion and started her own clothing company, Turneround Couture. She has self-published four books: one fiction, one science-fiction, an essay collection and even a vampire story. She has also written a couple of screenplays and pursued modeling and acting. Now, she juggles her many interests in between consulting with students at the Writing Center and working toward her Masters in Political Science.
As the oldest of five children and raised by a single mother, Turner finds strength in struggle.
“I came up poor and [have gone] through a lot of things that some children probably shouldn’t have to go through, but I think that’s the core of where my motivation is,” she said. “My whole life I’ve been doubted and put in positions where people didn’t believe in everything I said I was going to do. It’s been a constant battle to continue to prove myself, to go against the odds.”
The Wise Owl Lady works hard to meet her own goals, but she is twice as diligent about giving back to others. She dedicates her time to several volunteer organizations, and with a passion for helping women, the less fortunate and youth, one is particularly special to her.
“Girl Scouts is where my heart really is, as I work the outreach program,” Turner said. “We take care of everything for the girls that are the poorest of the poor in KCK and KCMO who wouldn’t ever get a Girl Scouts experience, because it costs money. That’s where my passion is —to help the girls that need it the most, especially because I was one of those girls. Girl Scouts saved my life.”
It doesn’t stop there. Amilee has big plans for her future, all based around positively influencing her community and inspiring others to follow their dreams.
“When I was a little girl, I looked up to Princess Diana and Mother Theresa,” she said. “I saw myself being one of those women that is a power figure and can go out into the world and be of service to others. If I saw myself as a political figure, my campaign slogan would be ‘Raise Each Other Up,’ because life is too short, there’s too much suffering and everyone wants something. I want to be able to go out and inspire,.”
Turner already offers advice, personal poetry and spiritual musings in her blog that aims to inspire women. She also wants to use her love for literature and fashion to help people reach their goals.
“I would like to help children learn how to read and write,” she said. “It’s horrible how many out there don’t know how. By the time I retire, I want to have a women’s nourishment center so that no child is really left behind, and every child that needs to grow can go there. I also see my fashion business picking up, and I would like to develop a team of people that want to boost their brand and help improve what they want to become as designers.”
As she works on her fifth novel, prepares an upcoming menswear line for Turneround Couture and dreams up new ways to help her community, the perpetually ambitious Turner looks toward future goals. One day, she hopes to adopt a baby boy and work at the United Nations Office at Geneva in Switzerland. She doesn’t expect to get there quickly or easily, but her tried-and-true attitude on turning dreams into reality is something she would like to share:
“Nothing’s impossible,” she said. “Everything takes time. You have to make mistakes, and you have to fail. Sometimes your direction is not what you think it’s going to be, but it’s where you need to be at that exact moment. You got to keep going. It’s not about the end or the beginning. It’s that process in between, and climbing up that ladder to get there.”
All photos provided by Amilee Turner