About me

My name is Annie McGarry and I am currently a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. I graduate in May of 2026. My love of engineering took me to my first job at Kentucky Kingdom, an amusement park in Louisville. Over five years, I flourished, rising up the ranks from Ride Operator to Supervisor to Senior Supervisor. During my day to day, I managed the rider operators, handled emergencies, guest disputes, and attractions breakdowns. I especially became close with maintenance and often joined them during ride breakdowns to learn the mechanics of our attractions. I then joined Walt Disney World’s College Program where I was assigned to two concurring roles: one in ESPN Wide World of Sports and the second in Animal Kingdom Attractions. During my stay at Disney World, I applied and was accepted for amazing opportunities like Tech Behind the Dreams where I was able to meet with engineers at Disney to learn more about the technical aspect of their attractions like design reviews and hazard analysis. While at UAH, I have dived into my mechanical engineering classes. There I have blossomed, creating the Animatronics Club and becoming part of the Space Hardware Club where I mentored underclassmen in designing and building a plane in two months. In January of 2025, I accepted the first of two mechanical engineering internships at GE Appliances. From January to May, I worked with the Dishwasher team and from May to August, I worked with Recreational Living. From there, I returned to UAH, and not only started, but became the Vice President of the Themed Entertainment Association. This year, UAH earned the honor of competing at the TMU Thrill Design Challenge at Universal Studios.

Experience

GE Appliances - Mechanical Engineering Intern

• Recreational Living Team - May 2025 - August 2025

  • Welded thermocouples to test the efficiencies of compressors.

  • Tested CFMs of fans using the Flow Measurement Program.

  • Created an organizational ease of use method for generators.

• Dishwasher NPI Structures Team - January 2025 - May 2025

  • Engineered and maintained field test units, contributing to critical validation and reliability testing.

  • Performed spill and thermal heatmap testing to evaluate product performance.

  • Managed and coordinated testing activities to ensure timely and successful dishwasher product release.

  • Utilized Creo Parametric to design a new mechanical component for integration into the next product release.

  • Led FRACAS investigations identify root cause issues in new product line.

Walt Disney World - College Program - Attractions

• January 2024 - August 2024

  • Applied problem-solving and situational awareness to maintain a safe, efficient guest environment; supported crowd flow and resolved real-time issues to enhance operational effectiveness.

AIMS International - Ambassador

• September 2023 - January 2024

  • Acted as the primary point of contact between AIMS management and instructional staff, ensuring alignment and information flow.

Kentucky Kingdom - Ride Operations

• Senior Supervisor - March 2023 - August 2023

  • Led safety training sessions and conducted comprehensive audits to uphold strict operational and safety standards.

  • Exercised decisive leadership during high-pressure events, managing ride breakdowns and emergency evacuations to ensure guest and team safety.

• Supervisor - March 2022 - March 2023

• Ride Operator - April 2019 - March 2022