Jana Hussion
Assistant Principal, Union County Elementary School
Piedmont College EdS ’13
Blairsville, GA
Jana is the Assistant Principal at Union County Elementary School in Blairsville, Georgia. “I got to where I am today by having a supportive family that valued education, taught me morals, and most importantly instilled in me a faith in God. They set high expectations in both academics and behavior, but offered grace and mercy when I fell short.”
She attended school at Piedmont College to get her bachelor’s degree in business. “At the time I went to college, my parents were already paying for my older sister to go to college. It was a time when my parents were paying their bills, but there was not a lot of extra money. By receiving the HOPE scholarship, it took a financial burden away from family. For that I am truly grateful. I knew that HOPE would pay for my school in Georgia and that was an opportunity I could not afford to lose.”
Her college experience taught her about the benefit of finding what you are passionate about. “I learned that once you find an area you are passionate about learning; it really doesn’t feel like work anymore. You find yourself going above and beyond what is expected, because you have a desire to learn more.”
Although Jana did not begin her career in education, going back to school lead her to her current role. “I wished they would have offered the work-based learning opportunities that are now offered in a lot of high schools. My first degree was in Business with a concentration in accounting. After working in this industry for a few months, I knew this was not something I wanted to do long-term. I decided to re-enroll in college to get my Master’s degree in Education. I absolutely love working in the education field and am so grateful that I chose to go back to school.”
She counts her family as some of her greatest mentors, as well as Sara Rogers and Angie Berrong. “Each of these people taught me to work hard, have fun doing my work, and help those around you.“
Jana lives in Blairsville, Georgia, with her husband, C.T. Hussion and two children. C.T. is the principal at Union County High School. Their children, Brady and Avery, are in 9th and 6th grades.