Seventy-year-old Georgette “G.”  Kerr has lived a full life –– continually following her curiosity to new and exciting places while learning a lot on the way. Kerr is retired with three kids, three grandchildren with another on the way and three great-grandkids. She will be the first online graduate of religious studies and English –– a double bachelor’s degree ––  at Missouri State University on May 20. 

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Kurr is currently in the process of writing an autobiographical mini-novel titled, “A Poor Little Rich Girl.”

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“I’m writing this book to show that just because you’re rich or poor, it doesn’t necessarily make your life any better if there’s abuse on the other side of the garden,” Kerr said. “What you do with your life is what’s important. I could have gone on welfare and felt sorry for myself, but instead I worked for a better life.” 

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Kerr is writing the novelette for one of her final grades in ENG 580: Gender Issues in Language and Literature, and MSU English professor Joel Coltharp is editing it. 

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“He’s given wonderful advice on how to bring out more flavor and more text in what happened and when. I’m up to chapter eight … I may stop there,” Kerr said. “I’m going to see if I can find an agent and possibly submit it after a couple of rewrites.”

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Senior Instructor for the Department of English Tracy Dalton is Georgette’s professor for ENG 377: Professional Editing during this spring 2022 semester. She describes Kerr as “inquisitive and ambitious.” 

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“G. Kerr asks any and all questions that she needs to in order to understand an assignment or process,” Dalton said. “After the questions, she takes on the challenge to learn the task for herself, and once she’s learned something, she’s really got it. 

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“One aspect of our class that challenges students is learning the Track Changes function in Word to edit documents. Not only did G. figure this out with little help from me, but she’s used it effectively through the assignments we’ve conducted –– and an aspect I want to mention here is that she’s successfully taken an online editing class, learned copy marks via video, mastered Track Changes and tackled an editing cycle. 

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“G. is curious as well as determined. I’m proud to have served as her instructor!”

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Kerr has taken many English courses to help improve her writing in case she decides to become an ordained pastor in the future –– in which case she’d have to write sermons every week. At first she was getting a major in Religious Studies and a minor in English, but her love for writing evolved into a double major.

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 Other than trying to get her book finished and published, Kerr hopes to visit her daughters this year after graduation. Kerr has lived in West Plains, Missouri –– about 100 miles southeast of Springfield –– for 25 years but she’s considering moving to Springfield for some writing job opportunities if being a pastor isn’t on the table.

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 “Everyone called by God can pastor with a seminary degree. My next step is checking with online seminaries. Some faiths do not allow women pastors and some faiths are strict about past sins.”

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 Even though Kerr has aspirations to become a pastor, she sometimes has doubts.

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 “I’m finishing up my finals in religion and … well… I kind of don’t think I’m good enough to be a pastor. I know that most religions say they ‘want the bad people who have changed.’ Well, I’m not a horrible person. I’m a normal person who’s lived a full life and has had a couple of marriages. Most of the Christian faith frowns upon multiple marriages, especially in the pastor. The pastor is supposed to be kind of … guilt free.”

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Kerr’s degrees are very important to her because she wants to write meaningful sermons.

 

“When I write I hope to help someone through trauma knowing it is not forever,” Kerr said. “On my way home yesterday a driver said that I can’t pastor because I’m a woman. I told him I can do anything God leads me to do.”