Most senators are done working after the Student Government Association Senate meeting Tuesday nights, but Erica Turner  still has plenty of work ahead of her.

Once Senate meetings are over, Turner, senior interdisciplinary studies major, transcribes everything that was said during the meeting, which can last 2 1/2 hours.

Turner took over as chief administration officer at the start of the spring semester. Turner replaced new chief of staff Savannah Fonvielle, who replaced graduate Joe Wilkes.

“I loved being a senator so I want to use my previous leadership responsibilities and roles to enhance senator life in Senate and to make sure they’re getting what they bargained for out of Senate,” Turner said.

Turner said she wants to help senators network and gain lobbying and communication skills that will help them in future careers.

Hailing from Durham, Turner went to Durham School of the Arts for high school, where she focused on chorus and technical theater.

“I loved stage management and thought that was what I wanted to do, but took a very different path,” Turner said. 

She interned with Playmakers Repertory Company, the professional theater company in residence at UNC-Chapel Hill, and experienced what it would be like as a stage management major only to realize it wasn’t for her.

Turner said when she stepped onto App State’s campus she fell in love with the school.

“It felt like such a family already, and I could see myself being a student here,” Turner said.

After graduating in May, Turner plans to take a year off and work as a paramedic while getting clinical hours for medical school.

“I want to go to grad school first for either neurobiology or ethics and then look into medical school,” Turner said.

Turner said she is still deciding whether to study medical ethics or medicine. If she studies medicine, Turner said she wants to practice neurosurgery, which she said would involve 12 more years of education and training.

Turner said she thinks she will study medical ethics because of her interest in medicine and law.

During her year off, Turner said she hopes to finalize her decision.

Turner was the chapter president of her sorority, represented the Appalachian Popular Programing Society in the Senate junior year, served on the Panhellenic council and was the executive editor for the Impulse Neuroscience undergraduate journal.

“I wanted to soak up all the opportunities that I could in regards to student leadership,” Turner said.

Fonvielle, senior management major, said she thinks Turner is the perfect person for the position.

“She has the organization, the leadership and integrity that the position entails and requires of you,” Fonvielle said.