For students who think a degree won’t land you a job in this economy, think again. Abby Feine, a 2010 graduate of Mercer, is currently working with Strategic Systems Progams, a part of the Department of Defense, in Washington, D.C. and performs logistical analysis on submarines.
Feine graduated from Mercer with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in photography.
During her sophomore year of college, a neighbor provided Feine with a flyer advertising a summer hire program with the government in Kings Bay, Ga. She now works for the company full-time.
She said, “I will stay at this job until I stop wanting to wake up and come to work every morning. I have a job I love and I’m living in our Nation’s capitol.”
Her position also allows for travel and this is something she has enjoyed tremendously. “I’m from small town, so it’s fun and exciting to be taking week trips to California or Indiana,” Feine said.
Feine advises current students to take internships early and keep in touch with any contacts that are formed over the years. “I don’t care what people say, it always comes down to who you know,” she said.
She believes that Mercer’s engineering school provided her with the background knowledge she needed to perform her day-to-day duties at work.
Her favorite professor during her undergraduate studies was Richard Kunz. “It was in his class when I realized that I could actually grow up and be an engineer one day,” she said.
While at Mercer, Feine was an active sister of the Chi Omega Fraternity. She is originally from Saint Marys, Ga. and is currently living in Arlington, Va.
Feine encourages students to look for positions now. “Get a contact! Ask everyone you know that might potentially have a contact that could help. Look further than just Georgia. Even though some of us might not want to admit this, but there is life outside of those Georgia lines.”
Feine said, “I feel like I’m actually doing something important. But even though I love my job, if money wasn’t an issue, I’d drop everything and buy a plane and fly to the middle of nowhere and take pictures for the rest of my life.”
