SGA President pursues master's in public service

Kassie Jones, Berry’s former Student Government Association president, is headed to graduate school to earn her master’s in public service and administration. It’s a path that makes sense for this 2018 grad who has spent her time at Berry serving others.

It might seem Kassie has it all together, but she has faced challenges just like everyone else.

Her parents, who served in the military, experienced financial difficulties related to an active duty injury. So when Kassie was eight years old, her family moved across the country to her grandparents’ condominium, where the family had to share one bedroom. Kassie learned the values of hard work and determination watching her parents work to provide a successful future for her and her sister.

When Kassie arrived at Berry, her future was full of uncertainty. She did not come with a major, but instead found her way into a modern political philosophy class that changed her life. After failing the first paper, her professor, the late Dr. Peter Lawler, sat down with her and asked her to be a political science major. Kassie credits a lot of her development to the personal relationships she had with professors. Always ready for an adventure, she embraced the opportunity to travel to Morocco to co-present her research on democracy in Pakistan with fellow Berry student Jessie Moore. Kassie presented in front of professionals from all over the world and sat on a panel where she collaborated with a professor from the University of Nigeria.

Kassie jumped into the Student Government Association as a freshman running for class vice president, and was an integral part of campus decision-making to give students a voice. “SGA really gave me a second family at Berry,” she said. “From my job experience to just getting to know students, I really found my passion in wanting to help others and give back.”

Story by Anna Walker (18C)