Mary Ferguson
Published: Sep 4, 2025 11:35 AM
By Rachel Wingard
Mary Ferguson, a junior in aerospace engineering, wants to help people on campus. The Honor’s College student is doing so in several ways, including as a Cupola Engineering Ambassador and a member of Engineers Without Borders (EWB).
Why Auburn
“My family are big LSU fans. We watch LSU football more than Auburn football. Auburn wasn’t on my radar until my junior year of high school, when I toured over Mardi Gras break. I loved it on my tour, and attending an engineering camp the summer before my senior year really solidified my decision. I loved the walkable campus. I lived on campus my freshman and sophomore years, so it's nice to be within walking distance of my classes.”
Why engineering
“I knew from a younger age that I wanted to go into engineering. I loved math, science and physics throughout high school. I wanted to go into engineering to help people and create new things. What I liked about aerospace engineering was its high level of specialization. I could go into researching propulsion or fluids — nothing too broad. My older brother is getting his commercial pilot’s license, so we talk a lot about planes and how our careers overlap. He really helped get me into it.”
Engineers Without Borders
“I learned about EWB my freshman year when they came and talked to my class. My first semester was too busy to come to the meetings, but I got involved in my second semester. I joined the domestic team, and we worked on a project in West Point, Tennessee. We’re helping to reroute their old water piping system, which is very inefficient. It’s hard to see in our own country that there are people who struggle with getting clean water. We’ve worked on writing reports and proposals so they can get funding to help them.”
Cupola Engineering Ambassadors
“The reason I applied to be an ambassador was that I wanted to be something greater and connect with people. As an ambassador for my high school for two years, I found that interacting with families on tours helped me develop my core values. I wanted to carry that on to Auburn. Attending a Cupola tour myself, I knew I wanted to apply. I knew I wanted to help people, and with Cupola, I get to work with just one or two families at a time, which allows me to tailor the tour to their needs. I can bring in all the aspects of what makes Auburn the place that it is. What I really want to do is leave an impact, and I want the students who come to Auburn to feel loved and seen.”
Future plans
“I’m passionate about propulsion, whether it’s rockets, jets or commercial aircraft. My research now focuses on fluids, and I hope to work in propulsion or manufacturing. This summer, I interned at Airbus’ Final Assembly Line in Mobile, where I saw how every team plays a vital role in building aircraft. Working alongside manufacturing engineers, I provided technical guidance that supported commercial production. The experience connected my Auburn classroom learning to real-world aircraft systems and deepened my passion for the aeronautical field.” Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu,
Why Auburn
“My family are big LSU fans. We watch LSU football more than Auburn football. Auburn wasn’t on my radar until my junior year of high school, when I toured over Mardi Gras break. I loved it on my tour, and attending an engineering camp the summer before my senior year really solidified my decision. I loved the walkable campus. I lived on campus my freshman and sophomore years, so it's nice to be within walking distance of my classes.”
Why engineering
“I knew from a younger age that I wanted to go into engineering. I loved math, science and physics throughout high school. I wanted to go into engineering to help people and create new things. What I liked about aerospace engineering was its high level of specialization. I could go into researching propulsion or fluids — nothing too broad. My older brother is getting his commercial pilot’s license, so we talk a lot about planes and how our careers overlap. He really helped get me into it.”
Engineers Without Borders
“I learned about EWB my freshman year when they came and talked to my class. My first semester was too busy to come to the meetings, but I got involved in my second semester. I joined the domestic team, and we worked on a project in West Point, Tennessee. We’re helping to reroute their old water piping system, which is very inefficient. It’s hard to see in our own country that there are people who struggle with getting clean water. We’ve worked on writing reports and proposals so they can get funding to help them.”
Cupola Engineering Ambassadors
“The reason I applied to be an ambassador was that I wanted to be something greater and connect with people. As an ambassador for my high school for two years, I found that interacting with families on tours helped me develop my core values. I wanted to carry that on to Auburn. Attending a Cupola tour myself, I knew I wanted to apply. I knew I wanted to help people, and with Cupola, I get to work with just one or two families at a time, which allows me to tailor the tour to their needs. I can bring in all the aspects of what makes Auburn the place that it is. What I really want to do is leave an impact, and I want the students who come to Auburn to feel loved and seen.”
Future plans
“I’m passionate about propulsion, whether it’s rockets, jets or commercial aircraft. My research now focuses on fluids, and I hope to work in propulsion or manufacturing. This summer, I interned at Airbus’ Final Assembly Line in Mobile, where I saw how every team plays a vital role in building aircraft. Working alongside manufacturing engineers, I provided technical guidance that supported commercial production. The experience connected my Auburn classroom learning to real-world aircraft systems and deepened my passion for the aeronautical field.” Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu,
Mary Ferguson