Finding Greatness: Kara Ussery

Author: News Bureau
Posted: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 12:00 AM
Categories: Pressroom | Students | Finding Greatness | School of Arts and Letters

Macon, GA

Kara Ussery brings an eclectic background to MGA, including time spent working in housing management at Yellowstone National Park. She is pursuing the Master of Arts in Technical and Professional Writing at MGA and just completed an internship with Georgia Tech’s Office of Technology Licensing.

Full Name: Kara Michelle Ussery.

Age: 29.

Hometown: McDonough.

Residence: Macon.

Family: “One very sweet black and white 3-legged cat named Gildarts.”

Employment/Career Highlights: “I began my academic career as a theatre student with Columbus State University and went on to do a nine-month internship with the Disney College Program. Upon my return to Georgia, I discovered that my mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer and decided to attend EMT school in order to be able to better care for her. I worked for Spalding County 911 services for two years, but ultimately decided to return to school and finish my bachelor’s degree. I took a gap year after I graduated to work in housing management in Yellowstone National Park, relocated to Macon, and began a job in auto insurance underwriting, where I am still employed. Throughout all of these career changes, writing has been both my talent and my passion, and I am incredibly excited to be studying it with such a talented group of faculty and students!”

MGA Degree Objective: Master of Arts in Technical and Professional Writing.

Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Science with a focus on literature from Columbus State University

She chose Middle Georgia State University for graduate school because … “I had a local friend recommend the program to me! I had been searching for a graduate program for a long time but hadn’t found one that felt right to me. Everything I heard from current students was overwhelmingly positive, and I was excited at the option of the additional graduate certificates. I also loved that it was a completely remote-learning program. Overall, I felt like MGA would be a great fit with both my schedule and aspirations, and I’ve been proven right at every turn!”

Her greatest experience as a Middle Georgia State graduate student has been … “This is a difficult question! Overall, I’ve had an incredible experience with both the faculty and fellow students, and I do immensely enjoy the overarching and incredible feeling of studying and improving at a subject I’m passionate about. However, if I had to pick a specific experience, I would say that my graduate internship working with Georgia Tech has been absolutely transformative. It has been exceptionally rewarding to gain experience in a professional setting, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to expand my skill set.”

To her, greatness means … “Committing to the art of growing into the best possible version of ourselves by striving to enhance the wellbeing of ourselves, the people around us, and the environment that we’re in. Greatness is something found within us when we are living our truth and doing our best to effect positive change, and it is something that everyone has the potential for.”

In five years … “I would like to be doing technical writing full-time. Ideally, I could see myself either working in an academic setting doing work for a university or freelancing and doing a variety of work. Perhaps the answer will be both!”