St. Aug Alum Shifts Career from High Tech to High Touch
Photo: SFC Abdul Turay
For most of the seven years following his family’s arrival in the United States from Sierra Leone, Abdul Turay had immersed himself in mathematics courses, feeding his keen interest in computer science. It was only natural that he would pursue a career in that field when he entered at St. Augustine’s College in North Carolina.
Turay enjoyed collegiate athletics and excelled in academics at St. Augustine. But when he graduated in 1989, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his computer science degree. First, he accepted a position in the math department of a middle school in the District. It didn’t take long for him to conclude that teaching pre-teens was not his calling.
“I was really frustrated, so I decided to visit my father at work to see what it was like there,” he recalled. He was hoping the visit to Walter Reed Medical Center, where his father worked an accountant, would open the door to a new career.
Turay found a new career at Walter Reed that day—but it wasn’t the one he expected. While waiting to see his father, he met a friendly guy in the hallway. Within minutes, Turay revealed that he was looking for a new career, something more fulfilling than computers or teaching mathematics.
The young man was very excited about his career. He’d traveled to different parts of the world and he’d received excellent career training and enjoyed the challenge to stay physically fit.
Something clicked. “I was a wrestler at St. Augustine and I always wanted to see the world,” he said.
The young man invited Turay to visit a local Army recruitment center to see if one of the 150 careers they offered would be a good fit for him. Turay chose infantry soldier. Today, 14 years later, he is an Army Sergeant First Class living his passion: taking care of others. Turay has mentored Soldiers in combat units in various parts of the world and has started his own family back home.
His current assignment, as a human resources specialist, has not only brought him to Virginia and closer to home, he says that it has broadened his career experience. After so many years in combat and combat support positions, he has shifted to what he calls “the business side of the Army”.
Unlike traditional human resources in a business environment, Turay considers Army HR more “high touch”. He views it as a problem solving position and enjoys the customer service nature of his job. The Soldiers aren’t merely names or numbers. Just as he did in combat divisions, he keeps a close eye on each one, this time, from behind a desk. He checks their evaluations and carefully monitors whether each is receiving his or her promotion, on schedule. All the while, he’s also helps keep watch over the staffing levels throughout the Army, to make sure that all positions are filled with highly qualified Soldiers.
“I love what I do!” he smiles, grateful to have found a career that developed him and helped him develop others into leaders who will be strong assets to the African American community when they return to civilian life.
Posted By: Jehan Bunch
Friday, February 16th 2007 at 2:09PM
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