"Home is the number-one safe harbor, but we have to make the world a better place, too."
With this personal philosophy in mind, Carol Turley was determined to become involved in improving her children's education at an inner-city high school here. Rather than taking the easy way out and sending her children to another school, as many other families in the community were doing, she chose to focus on making Hamilton High a better, more attractive center of learning. Having her children attend schools outside the established boundaries was, she felt, unethical."Sending them out of the area wasn't an option, because I didn't want to teach my children deception," said the mother of six and recently released Young Women president in the Westwood 2nd Ward, Los Angeles California Stake. "Instead, I knew we had to change the perception of the school. We started researching and tried to come up with some alternative to make Hamilton a more attractive place."
In so doing, she spearheaded the transformation of a dying institution into a state-of-the-art music academy with 48 pianos, high-tech headsets, expert instructors and a large concert hall.
Now in its third year, Hamilton's academy is known as the "Fame" school of the West Coast, where, along with reading, writing and calculus and other subjects in the basic curriculum, the students can have an incomparable education and exposure in the performing arts. With an enrollment of 600, soon to be 800, and a long waiting list, the Hamilton Music Academy is energetic and thriving.
The academy also presents an annual gala, with celebrity guest stars and a Hall of Fame - on Feb. 24, Carol Turley became the latest inductee.
"The first two years of the Music Academy's existence, she spent 40 hours a week here," said James G. Berk, assistant principal. "She also started the Booster Club, which raises money to benefit the academic, athletic and performing arts programs. The club has donated more than $75,000 since its inception."
Such a sense of community involvement and dedication stems from the Church, said Sister Turley.
"I used to think I couldn't be a good mother and be involved in the community at the same time," she said. "But President Spencer W.T Kimball said `Lengthen your stride,' and I think it's very important for members to take a stand and become involved, because people will pay attention.
"If you do it for the right reasons, with a focus and a goal, people eventually understand you're trying to do something good for everyone." -