VJA Media Center Renamed In Honor Of Founder Dorothy Davis Turner

TINLEY PARK, IL — The District 230 Board of Education recently renamed the Victor J. Andrew Media Center in honor and recognition of Dorothy Davis Turner, teacher and founder of the first high school in the Orland area.

Last school year, students in Andrew High School’s Advanced Placement Literature and Composition course taught by Sheila Furey Sullivan spearheaded the renaming movement, which became an authentic real-world learning process. The students met and collaborated with District 230 Superintendent Dr. Robert Nolting, Andrew High School Principal Dr. Abir Othman, and members of the Orland Park Historical Museum -a true partnership between the school and the community.

The students spent the year researching the district’s history and the education and teaching contributions made by Turner in the Orland area. Turner taught and founded the first high school in Orland. Her efforts to open a local high school fundamentally transformed the area, shifting it from its former agricultural focus to a more suburban area.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by Turner’s great-granddaughter and granddaughter, the former Andrew students who are all now college freshmen, as well as various administrators and staff.

Andrew teacher Sheila Sullivan says, “Our work, from researching Turner’s sacrifices to dialoguing with important collaborators, was a key experience for these AP Literature students, teaching them about how to bring change to their community and the steps involved. This project directly correlates to the District 230 mission statement about empowering young people to impact their communities.”

The AP students hoped to provide Victor J. Andrew students with an understanding of their District 230 history and to highlight the selfless efforts of Davis Turner in being a champion for secondary education in our community.

Now, every time the students and faculty are present in the Media Center, whether they are working collaboratively on projects or simply checking out books, Mrs. Davis-Turner’s legacy will be displayed for them to see. Her contributions will be conveyed to the people this district serves.
Superintendent Dr. Nolting said, “This renaming is not just a formality; it is a celebration of the spirit that fueled the inception of our schools. I am proud of the students who took this on not simply as a school project, but as a passion project through the leadership of their teacher. This, alone, is befitting of the legacy that Ms. Davis Turner left within our community.