Testing the waters: Auburn’s summer camps give high school students a taste of campus life

Reagan Atkins attended a summer camp for one day and was convinced she should attend Auburn University and study industrial and systems engineering.

Andrew Dillard and Ellary Hackworth attended a different one-day camp and still found their way to the Plains and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

Andie D’Amico had “pretty much decided” on Auburn and the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), but attending the weeklong Musical Theatre Camp solidified the decision.

Auburn’s colleges offer several summer opportunities for high school students to experience Auburn and all it has to offer. These outreach efforts have become successful recruiting tools.

Reagan Atkins, right, attended Auburn Engineering Summer Expo before becoming an Auburn student.

As an industrial and systems engineering major, Reagan Atkins appreciates spending time in the AU Lean Manufacturing Lab, aka the Lego Lab.

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Experiencing Auburn

A native of Decatur, Alabama, Atkins said she had been considering engineering as a college major and was intrigued with the idea of computer engineering since she took coding classes at Austin High School.

However, during the Auburn Engineering Summer Expo, she explored all the different engineering majors and participated in hands-on activities. And that’s how she knew her future.

“The camp provided clarity,” Atkins said. “Industrial and systems engineering resonated with me due to its emphasis on organization, problem-solving and process improvement. And then, touring the AU Lean Manufacturing Lab — the Lego Lab — and gaining insights into the major helped me decide.”

Atkins found her first year on the Plains to be “immensely fulfilling.” She fully embraced the Auburn student experience by residing in the Engineering Residential Learning Community, engaging with the Honors College, collaborating with 100+ Women Strong, joining the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, attending Auburn United Methodist Church, participating in Wesley Foundation bible studies and attending various sporting events.

Because she participated in the dual enrollment program in high school, Atkins is in her junior year, allowing her to take her first industrial engineering classes.

If given the opportunity, Atkins said she would help with future camps, specifically to support students with learning challenges. Atkins believes she has much to share as she manages her coursework with dyslexia.

Andrew Dillard, right, attended the Senior Engineering Showcase before enrolling at Auburn.

Andrew Dillard is an industrial and systems engineering major at Auburn.

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An engineer for a day

Dillard and Hackworth attended the Senior Engineering Showcase and got “to feel what it’s like to be an Auburn Engineering student for the day.”

Dillard, a graduate of Huntsville High School, said he attended the camp as “a chance to further explore the different fields and options I had when deciding my future career.

“This camp did exactly that, allowing me to dip my toes into what each engineering major is, how it applies to the real world and what my Auburn experience might look like,” he said.

Dillard admitted he has “always bled orange and blue,” so attending Auburn was basically inevitable, but the camp not only confirmed Auburn was the right move, but more importantly, it helped him decide on a major — or at least two possibilities.

He started his first year in aerospace engineering but changed to industrial and systems engineering. Had it not been for his experience at camp, though, Dillard admitted he would not have known to consider either major in the first place.

Outside of class, Dillard found YoungLife and the Oaks Retreat, a community ministry for incoming first-year students, that he said had the most positive impact on his initial year of college.

“While engineering is rigorous, I believe that those who are willing to work hard and surround themselves with a proper fellowship of like-minded friends — something that isn't hard to do at a place like Auburn — will find that engineering is incredibly rewarding,” he explained. “At the end of the day, we are pushing the boundaries of innovation for the next generation of thinkers and inventors. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?”

Ellary Hackworth, second from the left, attended the Senior Engineering Showcase, offered by Auburn's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. The one-day camp solidified her decision to attend Auburn and major in engineering.

Ellary Hackworth is an industrial and systems engineering major at Auburn.

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Hackworth, a native of Kennesaw, Georgia, wasn’t as certain as Dillard about a future at Auburn — that is until she visited campus.

After that, “it was a no-brainer that Auburn was the place for me,” she admitted. Hackworth had already registered for the Senior Engineering Showcase before she visited just to get more exposure to engineering as a possible college major.

“But once I came to campus, it was the only college campus that felt like home. I knew then that if camp went well, Auburn was definitely my future home,” she said.

And camp went well.

Hackworth called it “an amazing opportunity” to become familiar with Auburn’s campus and downtown Auburn and — maybe most importantly — get to know some of the faculty and staff in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. By establishing relationships with folks in admissions, Hackworth said she could ask questions during the admissions process. 

Meeting representatives of each engineering department and seeing hands-on examples of each type of engineering is exactly what Hackworth needed to confirm Auburn Engineering was the right place for her and industrial and systems engineering would be her major.

Once on campus, Hackworth learned about the one thing that no other university has — the Auburn Family. The support she received from across campus confirmed she made the right decision to attend Auburn.

“I think it speaks volumes of the Auburn Family at how welcomed I felt here,” she said. “Even though I was surrounded by new people in a new place, I felt like it was home. I never wanted to leave or wished things had happened differently.”

Classes are often challenging enough, but add commitments to a sorority and different clubs, and the whole thing can be overwhelming for a first-year student. Hackworth said she juggles it all by maintaining good study habits and an organized schedule.

Andie D'Amico, center, attended the College of Liberal Arts' Musical Theatre Camp before enrolling at Auburn.

Andie D'Amico is no longer majoring in theatre, but it is her minor so she can take classes that fulfill her passion for the stage.

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Acting at Auburn

D’Amico considered her experience with Musical Theatre to be a “test drive” for Auburn.

“By the time I got to camp, I had already pretty much decided that I was going to come to Auburn and CLA,” she said. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to get to know the staff and the department and make sure it would be a good fit for me.

“Everyone I met was so encouraging and reinforced my choice to attend Auburn and study theatre.”

This plan worked well for D’Amico, a graduate of Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama, until this fall. She came into Auburn, double majoring in theatre and speech pathology, but is now only majoring in speech pathology. She will graduate with a minor in theatre, however.

“The decision was easier knowing there was a team of professors and students in theatre and dance who wanted me to succeed in all my endeavors,” she said. “I can still take theatre classes that pique my interest and grow my skills while pursuing a new degree. I truly appreciate the support as I pursue my dreams.”