By Kathie Turner

A

true legacy isn’t found in a building or a title but in the lives of those forever changed by a person’s presence. When I think of the word “Legacy,” I think of April Wilson ’06 and her husband, Thad Wilson ’06. To the world, they are distinguished professionals, but to me, they were the bridge between a limited reality and a world of endless possibility.

I grew up in a low-income community with immigrant parents who were both Spanish-speaking. In our home we had plenty of love and culture, but no one in our immediate circle was educated beyond high school. Higher education felt like a distant, unfamiliar language. The Wilsons’ legacy began the moment they stepped in, translating that world for us.

Our connection was a family affair. April tutored me, and Thad tutored my brother, through Loma Linda University Church’s Excell program, when we were in elementary school. We were a “pack,” and the Wilsons embraced us with a level of intentionality I had never experienced. I looked up to April so much; she was the first professional role model I ever had. She showed me what was possible for a woman with an education and a kind heart.

Their legacy was built on humble acts of generosity that I still hold dear to my heart. I’ll never forget when April and Thad—Loma Linda University students themselves at the time—took my brother and me out to a restaurant. For us, eating out wasn’t a normal occurrence. I was so humbled that they would go out of their way to build a personal bond with us beyond tutoring. Later, April gave me her old desktop computer. In a household without those resources, that gift was my bridge to my education—a tangible sign that she believed in my potential.

The Wilsons’ impact on my education was profound and permanent. Because of the extraordinary role models they were and the belief they instilled in me, I went on to receive my associate’s degree and my bachelor’s degree. I am proud to say that I was the first one in my family to graduate from a university.

That flame for learning hasn’t gone out. Today, I have come full circle; I am currently enrolled at Loma Linda University as a health science student pursuing an associate’s degree, with plans to enter the nursing program. I am proof that their investment didn’t just help a child—it empowered a lifelong student.

Even now, as an adult, I reflect on who they were to me when I was just a child. Their selflessness provided a roadmap for a future my family couldn’t yet see. Their truest legacy isn’t just in the degrees I’ve earned, but in the person I have become. As I move forward into my new educational journey, I carry their kindness with me, hoping to be for others what they were for me: a light in the dark and a bridge to a better future.