Finding Greatness: Beth Kennedy

Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Monday, September 30, 2024 12:00 AM
Categories: Finding Greatness | Pressroom | School of Arts and Letters | Students

Macon, GA

Beth Kennedy, left, with Trudie Laches, manager of the food pantry where Kennedy volunteers.

A recent graduate of MGA’s online Master of Arts in Technical & Professional Writing, Beth Kennedy used some of what she learned in the program to create a training module for a food bank in her community.

Name: Beth Kennedy.

Hometown & Residence: Cary, N.C.

Career: Writer/communications consultant.

MGA Degree: Master of Arts in Technical & Professional Writing, Class of 2024; graduate certificate in technical writing and digital communication.

Tell us about your career path and some highlights of your professional life.

I have worked in non-profit communications for many years. Early in my career, much of this work centered around writing funding and grant proposals for major donors and foundations. More recently, I served as the campaign director for a national fundraising appeal, which was more of a marketing and communications-type role. Our team created materials for print, web, social media, and even some TV and radio spots. I think one of my biggest achievements in this position was keeping the campaign afloat during the pandemic. We encountered numerous obstacles, including logistical challenges, supply shortages, and having to suspend in-person photo shoots. But we were able to find creative ways to tell our organization’s story and keep donors engaged.

Describe how your Middle Georgia State experiences are benefiting you now in your career and personal life? 

I decided to take a year off to pursue my master’s degree. After completing the program in July, I am reestablishing my consulting work. My aim is to serve small nonprofits, and smaller organizations often need their communications professionals to handle everything from writing to graphic design to website maintenance. Happily, the program allowed me to strengthen various skills—especially in electronic communications—alongside my writing skills. So, I feel I can now offer clients more comprehensive support.

On a personal level, my coursework has enhanced my volunteer service. In my instructional design course as part of the MGA program, our big project was to create a learning module. I used the opportunity to develop a training video for a nearby food pantry – Western Wake Crisis Ministry - where I volunteer. The original module focused on a specific volunteer shift, and now I am working with the operations manager to create similar videos for other shifts. I will be able to repurpose and reuse much of the content from the initial video. In addition, I created a video on how to host a food drive for an assignment in another class (Technical Writing in the Digital Age). I plan to customize it for the food pantry’s use.

The staff at the pantry is amazing, and they accomplish remarkable things with limited resources. I am happy I can apply what I learned at MGA to support their work.

What advice do you have for students now studying at MGA?

The older I get, the less qualified I feel to offer advice, because I realize just how much I don’t know! So, my suggestion to current students is one I also try to follow and that is to keep learning and to be open to new perspectives and experiences.