Austin Abbott, a Big Lake High School Graduate, is currently serving as an oceanographer with the US Navy at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Abbott kindly sat down with this reporter to talk about his career and service. 

Education

Abbott was born and raised in Big Lake. He lived there through high school with his parents, Don and Lisa Abbott, and sister, Shealyn Abbott. He graduated from Big Lake High School in 2013. 

After high school, Abbott joined the Army National Guard, where he served for six years. During his service, Abbott also attended school, earning his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Minnesota. 

During his time at the U of M, Abbott participated in a program that worked with invasive species. He helped to find solutions to keep Asian Karp out of the great lakes lock and dam systems. He really enjoyed the program and working on the water, but wanted to aim for a field that was more technical than the biology he’d been studying previously.

He was turned on to oceanography, and earned his master’s degree in the subject from Old Dominion University in Virginia.

Abbott also graduated from officer candidate school in Rhode Island.

Military Service

Abbott said it was always his dream to join the military and serve his country. He joined the Army National Guard after high school and served for six years and enjoyed it, but he felt it wasn’t enough. He wanted to continue to pursue a career with the military, as well as incorporate his interest in science. He discovered the oceanography program with the Navy and so he pursued being commissioned as an officer. 

Abbott said it was the perfect place for him, as he gets to pursue two of his passions in one job: studying oceanography and serving with the military.

Oceanography

Abbott is one of only 300 oceanographers serving with the US Navy. Currently stationed at Stennis Space Center, Abbott says it’s very cool to be serving on a NASA base, even if he doesn’t interact with the NASA operations. While on base, Abbott works on training on the Pearl River which runs nearby. 

Navy Oceanographers are commissioned by the Navy and other branches of the military to survey river and littoral (coastal) areas. They ensure the safety and successful navigation of military ships by mapping the area using sonar technology. Oceanographers may be commissioned to work in the US or overseas. 

Abbott said he recently returned from a trip to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Abbott said the trip was fascinating, as he got the chance to try out new technology: an unmanned underwater vehicle. Abbott said the machine looked kind of like a torpedo. He directed it where he wanted it to go and it went out to take measurements for the team. Usually, sonar measurements are captured from a boat, so it was a unique experience. 

Advice to Local Students

When asked if he had any advice for other Big Lake/area students who were considering a military career, Abbott said, “Explore your options, look at everything out there.”

He said there are so many different careers within the military, no one needs to worry they will be limited to what they consider to be stereotypical military jobs. There are roles for those interested in being a mechanic, administrator, cook, and lots of other jobs. 

“For any career in the civilian world, there’s one to match it in the military,” Abbott said. “Think about what you really want to do, and you’ll find it.”