Abbie Ruesy, Huntsville
Economic development marketing coordinator
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Age 24
About
I currently live in Madison and work at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville.
I'm originally from Flower Mound, Texas, a town near Dallas. Following high school, I decided to attend the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa to pursue a Bachelor's degree in microbiology. However, I also earned this degree as part of UA's STEM Path to the MBA program. While working through my undergraduate degree in microbiology, I took classes that prepared me for a one-year MBA degree following graduation with my Bachelor's. In five years at UA, I had earned two degrees: a Bachelor's in microbiology and a Master's in business administration with a custom focus in statistics.
In the summer between those two degrees, I interned with HudsonAlpha's economic development group as part of the BioTrain program. At that point in time, I was torn between this false dichotomy of two career paths: work in a lab or work in business strategy and marketing. Which path would guide my career? Luckily for me, I found an intersection of the two at HudsonAlpha, so when a job opened up right before I graduated with my MBA, I found myself as the marketing coordinator for the team I interned with just a year prior.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment is the moment I crossed the stage for my second degree from the University of Alabama.
Having grown up in the same town from kindergarten through 12th grade, I sought to squeeze the most out of a college experience. I went to a school over 600 miles from my home in a state I had not visited except for a single college tour. I selected my major based on my experience with a single high school class. I signed up for the STEM path to the MBA program for the experience of developing soft skills and understanding business. I joined clubs, Alpha Omega Epsilon sorority and volunteer organizations to plug into Tuscaloosa. I made friends from across the country and across the world. I took internships, worked jobs and studied hard. My goal was to do as much as possible and not waste a single moment.
But amidst all of that, there were many nights, weeks, or even months when I felt like I simply had to quit. I would call home distraught that the workload was too much, the time commitment was too great, or the expectation was too high. And every time, my parents would encourage me and remind me that I was capable and that the tough times would pass. Grit, determination, great friends and supportive mentors got me to the end. When I walked across that stage for my microbiology degree and then again for my MBA, I've never felt more proud of myself. I didn't give up. I didn't run home. I had proven to myself that I could persevere on my own.
How can we get more young people involved in tech and innovation in Birmingham?
What incentivized me to stay in Alabama had almost everything to do with the people around me. Investment from UA brought me to the state with opportunities that wouldn't have been accessible anywhere. Kindness from professors and my lab at UA helped me enjoy my experience. A great work environment full of dedicated people at HudsonAlpha made me want to apply for a full-time position after my summer internship experience.
Innovative people need spaces to be creative, supported and pushed. Young people need actionable networks of people who want to see them succeed. Seminars, schooling or programs only go so far, but the networks, connections and opportunities are what actually bring value to young people looking to make a difference.
