Alumni Highlight: Andrew Peacock – US Navy

Degree earned at NC State University:
Major: Polymer and Color Chemistry, American Chemical Society Certified Concentration of PCC, 2008
Minor: Spanish, 2008

What is your current job title?
Medical Student, US Navy

What are your significant job responsibilities?
Currently, my job is to excel in medical school. Upon graduation, my primary job will be providing medical care for sailors, marines, retirees, veterans, and their families. I will play an important role in ensuring the fighting force is medically ready to carry out their mission.

What experiences did you take from COT that you can say helped in your career?
One of the greatest strengths of the Wilson College of Textiles is the numerous research opportunities provided to the students. During my time as a student there, I was able to participate in several research projects with equally as many faculty members, each of whom allowed me to function at a level of independence I had yet to experience. These experiences helped hone my problem solving skills, improved my sense of responsibility, and taught me how to better function as an independent adult. These values have benefitted me considerably throughout medical school, and I am confident they will continue to do so.

What are some of your fondest memories of being at NC State / Textiles?
I certainly loved attending the home football games! I also truly enjoyed the friendships I was able to make and maintain throughout my college years. The small size of the Wilson College of Textiles compared with the overwhelming size of the university allowed me to build lasting friendships during my 4 ½ year tenure there. I still keep up with many of my classmates I met on day one of freshman year.

Do you have any funny / interesting anecdotes about your time in our department that you’d like to share?
Early one semester in PCC, the class became aware of a trend. The professor was consistently late to class. No one was really bothered by this fact, but we certainly took advantage of it. We set the clock forward ten minutes thinking we might be able to get out of class early that afternoon, but the professor never realized the clock was fast, and no one volunteered to tell him. We laughed about this daily for the remainder of the semester as we were consistently let out ten minutes early.

Are there things that you know now that you wished you had known as a student and that we can share with our current and future students?
Yes, some are things I wish I had known earlier, others are things I wish I had known period. In general, I would strongly advocate for taking advantage of every opportunity to meet new people and do new things. You will likely never have as much freedom as you do during your collegiate years. More specifically, join every club that interests you, travel as much as possible (highly recommend studying abroad, but even if just to an away football game), get involved in research early and often (get paid for it!), get to know the international students, eat well and exercise regularly, play intramural sports, and last but not least eat at Player’s Retreat.

Do you have any recommendations for students on how to prepare for a career in the armed services?
So far my military experience has been minimal as I am still in medical school. For those interested in medicine, it may help them to know their options. All branches offer scholarship programs that will pay for your medical school tuition, books, etc, in addition to providing a decent stipend. The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is another option with much better financial support, but a longer commitment. Stay in shape!