City engineer Troy Besseche was not expecting any extra help this summer, much less from the Ivy League. But he's pleased with the city's newest part-time employee.

Robbie Berschinski, a 1998 McIntosh graduate, returned home from his freshman year at Yale University and called the city looking to volunteer in his spare time. Instead, he got himself put on the city payroll and has been working since June 1.

Besseche, who shares Berschinski with development director Jim Williams and city planner David Rast, has found the him to be quite handy and a quick study.

“He's been very helpful in a number of areas,” said Besseche. “He's very knowledgeable, easy to work with.”

The college student's mental prowess should come as no surprise. Berschinski finished in the top 20 in his class at McIntosh and now attends Yale on a full-time Air Force ROTC scholarship, majoring in political science.

Needless to say, he's thrilled to have the opportunity to go to Yale. “I always would have liked to go to an Ivy League school,” he said.

Perhaps his biggest adjustment has been the cold weather in Connecticut, after living in Georgia all of his life and Peachtree City almost all of it.

The son of Bob and Susan Berschinski works Mondays and Tuesdays for the city and spends the remainder of the week working for his father, who publishes the Hometown Directories.

His duties for the taxpayers this summer will include going out to sites and checking projects to see that they are in compliance with various city ordinances.

He also is helping with the computerization of the city's land maps, a process that has been ongoing for several years.

Berschinski is scheduled to return to school in mid-August, but next summer won't leave him as much time for Peachtree City activities, as his ROTC training moves to the fore. He'll spend several weeks then at various Air Force bases in Texas and elsewhere.

While his work with the city may not tie in directly with his career goals, he sees the benefits of computer applications and other skills used this summer as being applicable throughout his life.

Law school is one option he is considering after his undergraduate years at Yale, with a Judge Advocate General following that. If he forgoes graduate school, he is interested in military intelligence, with the U.S. State Department a possibility down the road.

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