For Anna Herrington, earning a degree from the University of Georgia has always been part of the plan—even if it didn’t happen exactly as she first expected.

“As the daughter of two UGA alumni, I bled red and black from birth, and I had always planned to attend UGA, too,” she says. Though she was first accepted in 2002 after high school, life led her elsewhere, and she earned her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education from Georgia Southern University. She went on to complete a master’s degree in Elementary Reading, and after nearly two decades in the classroom, her love of learning never faded.

Now, as a student in UGA’s online Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Education – Literacy Specialist program, from the Mary Frances Early College of Education, she’s continuing that journey while shaping the next generation of readers.

“My father always said to me, ‘Learn something new every day. All you have to do is wake up,’ and for as long as I can recall, I have loved learning,” Anna says. That passion has been at the heart of her career, from her time as a first-grade teacher to her current role as a reading interventionist at Waynesboro Primary School. “I just thought that my true calling was teaching first graders—now I know I was made for this position!” she says. In this role, she works with small groups of first graders in targeted, data-driven instruction and collaborates with their teachers to strengthen literacy practices. “These are the children who would typically fall through the cracks, and we are catching them before they fall.”

UGA’s online learning options have allowed Anna to grow as an educator while balancing her full-time job and family life. “The online flexibility provided by UGA’s Ed.S. in Education has given me the freedom to continue to be a first-grade reading interventionist, wife, and mother of two children, while also pursuing an advanced degree in the reading education field that I love,” she says. “The knowledge that I am gaining helps me daily in my professional field, and the flexibility of the online program allows me to balance it all with my busy personal life.”

Her first semester came with unexpected challenges when Hurricane Helene damaged her home and vehicles, leaving her without power and internet for over a week. “That certainly wasn’t something I was anticipating in my first semester of my Ed.S. studies! My professors were very understanding and gave me grace and the flexibility to complete assignments when I was able. I was very thankful that they were willing to take a great deal of the stress off of me during a very stressful time.”

Going back to school after two decades also meant adapting to new ways of learning. “College has changed a lot since I got my bachelor’s and master’s degrees! Twenty years ago, most of my assignments were reading and then responding to the reading in writing. I have had to become very comfortable with responding via video, which is something I wasn’t familiar with before I started this online program. I have learned to love using video as a faster means of communicating, and I enjoyed watching the videos of my colleagues and gaining their perspectives.”

Anna has particularly valued the program’s direct impact on her work as an educator. “My favorite part of the program thus far is that it is directly applicable to my current teaching position. My professors understand that all of the teachers in our cohort are educators, and they make sure our coursework is relevant and meaningful. I have been able to apply what I have learned in my role as an interventionist.”

As part of the inaugural Literacy Specialist cohort, she is excited about the program’s future. “I am thankful for all of the faculty members who are working to develop this new Literacy Specialist program. I am thrilled to be a part of the cohort, and I look forward to watching the program blossom and grow.”

For Anna, UGA is more than just a school—it’s part of her identity. “UGA is in my blood. I am a second-generation UGA student and look forward to crossing the stage and under the Arch as an alum.”

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