I know what you’re doing this summer

While most college students spend their summer vacations reclining in their La-Z-Boy in front of their TV, Mercer students break the mold by having jam-packed summer schedules. From internships to studying abroad, Mercer students are sure to be active this summer.
Allison Harrison, a junior who is triple majoring in economics, business and spanish, plans to spend her summer in Augusta doing a tax internship at an accounting firm called Cherry Bekaert.
Harrison found out about the internship opportunity from her father who works with someone who worked at the accounting firm. After sending in her resumé, Harrison scheduled an interview with the firm over Christmas break and landed the internship.
Harrison is excited about her internship. “It is going to definitely get me experience and help me figure out if I like this field of work and kind of give me a little hands on experience. I’m excited about that, but also I’m just keeping my options open and seeing what is out there for the future,” she said.
Freshman and Mercer University Stamps scholar Min Hyun Oh plans on traveling overseas to Denmark this summer for an education practicum.
During her time in Denmark, Oh will learn more about global education. “I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to the education practicum. I’ll be learning about global education, which is related to what I want to do in the future.”
The aspiring teacher believes in using summer vacation to uncover one’s passions. “For people who know what they want to study and major in, they should try to find programs related to their major, but for people who haven’t decided what they want to do yet they should try being mentors for kids or for someplace that interests them.”
While Harrison and Oh will spend most of their summer vacations indoors, sophomore Caroline Cooper decided to brave the wilderness at Glisson Camp and Retreat Center as a camp counselor.
Cooper will abandon household amenities such as a microwave while she cooks her meals over campfires for three weeks.
During a typical camp day the staff and campers go to chapel twice. Campers can also participate in outdoor activities such as kayaking and climbing or arts and crafts.
Fortunately, for the last six weeks of Cooper’s stay at the camp, she will be in a village where she will live in a cabin. “I’ll have campers who are seven or are going into college, so 18 or so,” Cooper said.
Cooper looks forward to meeting the staff at the camp. She said, “I’m so excited to know all of the new staff members…I’m just excited to meet the new people that are coming in.”
Junior Erin Brett will be soaking up the sun in Daytona at Campus Outreach’s Beach Project this summer.
“It’s an eight week program in Daytona Beach where 150 college students from Campus Outreach go and work during the day and during the night they have training sessions. [Participants] learn how to study the Bible and share their faith how to pray,” said Brett about the intense, Gospel-driven program.
At Beach Project, students juggle a full-time day job and attend daily worship. Brett wants to take full advantage of the Project’s opportunities. “We only have so many summers and I was told that Beach Project is like a green house and you are given some time to grow spiritually and emotionally,” Brett said.
Senior Chase Williams plans, with 18 other Mercer students, to travel halfway across the globe to Thailand this summer to teach English for a year.
The political science major believes that this teaching opportunity will help him discover his passion. “It’s kind of tying into what I want to do when I come back and go to grad school. I want to work in international development, so I think teaching English is kind of the base of international development,” said Williams.
He does have some apprehensions about moving far away. “I’m kind of nervous about being away from my family and everybody that I know, but I’ve already established new relationships,” said Williams.