Cape Fear Academy’s 2025 Costal Physics & Engineering
Speaker Panel
On Friday, December 5th, 2025, Mrs. Rienks’ F Period Coastal Physics and Engineering class hosted three intelligent speakers to educate our community about what their lives look like as they work with the ocean while balancing project management, engineering, and entrepreneurship. “The experience of doing this panel helped me expand my speaking skills, especially talking to people I've never met. This also taught me more about carrying on conversations with people I've never met,” Mary Ryan Campbell said The speakerssharedinterestingfactsabouttheirupbringings,collegeexperiences, careerpaths,andadviceforhighschoolersstilltryingtofigureouttheirfutures.
“Ireallyhadnoideawhattoexpect It wassupercooltomeetother professionalsandlearnabouttheir professionandwhatledthemthere.Itis importantforyoutoknowthatwhenyou gotocollegeandpickamajor,that choiceisforyouandyoualone.You knowwhatyoudon'tlike,andyouhave anideaofwhatyoudolike.Follow somethingyouarepassionateabout, andknowthatyourpathmaychange andthatisokay.Whenyoufindyour place,workisalovenotajob,”shesaid
AdamPriest,ourfinalspeaker,started hiscareeroutinElectricalEngineeringat VMIbeforedecidingthathewantedtotake adifferentpathinlife.Hefoundthathe wantedtoworkwithmoretangibleobjects, leadinghimtohiscareerinCoastal Engineering.Overthecourseofhiscareer, Mr.Priesthaslivedinvariousstatesand evenmadehiswaydowntothe Caribbean;livinginsuchdiverseplaces hasallowedhimtohelpmore communities,seetheimpactofhiswork, andobservedifferentcoastlines.Henow worksonvariouscoastalprojects throughoutNorthCarolinaincluding construction,postconstruction,and engineering.Priest’sstoryencouraged studentslisteningtorememberthatitis theirlifeandnotanyoneelse'sandtobe connectedinyourcommunitywhile helpingothers
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, 5 December, 2025
OnFriday,December5th,2025,theCPeriodCoastalPhysicsand EngineeringclasshosteditsannualSpeakerPanelintheG Building,bringingthreedistinguishedguests,KenWillson,Ann Stewart,andRobClark,forastudent-organizedevent.Thepanel servedasthesemesterprojectforthestudents,inwhichthey wereresponsibleforplanning,promoting,andshowcasingan event.
Eachofthespeakersspokeabouthow theygotintotheirprofessionandwhythey chosetheircareerincoastalwork,and whatinspiredthemtofollowthatpath. Theysharedpersonalexperiencesand storiesaboutwhentheyfirststartedand wheretheyarenow.Theyexplainedwhat theydointheirjobsandhelpedstudents seethedifferentopportunitiesavailablein coastalprofessions.
KenWillsonspokeabouthisworkincoastalengineering inWilmington.Heexplainedshorelineprojects,inlet studies,andlong-termplanningforNorthCarolina beaches.Hedescribedhowhisteamusesfielddatato protectcommunitiesandsupportcoastaldevelopment. Studentsheardspecificexamplesfromrecentworkin theregionandaskedquestionsaboutthefield.
RobClarkspokeabouthisworkwithCapeFear RiverWatchinWilmington.Heexplainedhisrole asawaterqualityprogramsmanagerand describedhowhisteamstudiespollutionin differentriverswithintheNCMountains.He gaveanexampleoftheCaffoHogpollutionin riversdownstream.Studentslearnedhowlocal watergroupsmonitorpollution,protect habitats,andrespondtoproblemsthataffect theregion.
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, 5 December, 2025
ThispastFriday,December5th,theHonorsCoastalPhysicsand Engineeringclassesheldastudent-ledSpeakerPanel,where theyinvitedlocalswithexpertiseinCoastalManagement.Each studenthadaspecificrole,includingAdvertisingCrew,Speaker Coordinators,TechCrew,StageManagers,Emcee/Moderators, QuestionCoordinators,andaPAtoMrs.Rienks.Everysingle personplayedaroleincoordinatingthepaneltoperfectionto ensurethatallthreespeakersfeltwelcomeandcomfortableon ourcampus.
OurSpeakerCoordinatorsfoundthree amazingspeakerstotellusabouttheirfields andtogiveusadviceandinsightinto professionsrelatedtocoastalengineeringand management.WewelcomedJenna Haverstock,BoardPresidentofthePlastic OceanProject,JohnBaden,RetiredU.S.Army CorpsofEngineering,andBarneyBeermannIII, Health,Safety,andEnvironmentalAssociatefor J.S.Held.Eachofthespeakerssharedtheir stories,theirrolesinthefield,andadvicetous asstudents,eachprovidinganewand inspiringperspective.
Mr.BarneyBeermann,Health,Safety,andEnvironmental AssociateforJ.S.Heldsuggestedthatwebemoreopen mindedandtoexplorethedoorswehaven’topenedyet,just incasewediscoveranewinterestorpassion.Hesharedhis experiencefollowinghistimeatCapeFearaftergraduating in2013,andhowhenavigatedthroughprofessionsuntilhe foundhispassion.Hespokeabouttheimportanceofrisk factorswiththedangerouschemicalshedealswith,aswell asaninterestingstoryaboutchlorinegaspoisoning.Overall, heprovidedalotofinsightintohowhefoundhisway,from wantingtobeinthemedicalfield,tofindinghispassionand beganpursuingthispath.
Mr JohnBadenwhoisRetiredUS ArmyCorpsof Engineering,saidthatit’scompletelyappropriateto failbecausethatistheonlywaytolearnand exceed.Hesharedstoriesofhisdraftingprocess intoVietnamandhowhestruggledtoget governmentsupportforsomeoftheseimportant projectshewasworkingon
Ms.JennaHaverstock,BoardPresidentofthe PlasticOceanProject,taughtusthatweshould pursuewhatmakesushappyandwhatinterests usinlife,basedonherexperienceinbusinessand workwiththePlasticOceanProject.Sheshared howshefoundherpassioninthePlasticOcean Projectwhenit“paintedapictureofhoperather thanofdespair”.
Ourstudentswerefilledwithsomanyvaluablelessonsthroughoutthispanel,aswelearned notonlyabouthowwasteandcertaininfrastructurecannegativelyaffectourenvironments, buthowtonavigateconflictinginterestsandgrowingup Studentsalsolearnedsimplebut importantlessonsaboutnavigatingthroughcollegeandthejobworld. Wewereremindedthatineverysituation:”It'snottheendoftheworldifyoudon’thaveitall figuredoutatfirst”,“Thereisneveranexactrouteyouhavetofollowandthere’salwaysother options”,and“It’snevertheendoftheworldifyougetpigeonholed.” Throughtheselessonseverystudenthasbeenpositivelyimpactedbyouramazingspeakers andwecan’twaittohearaboutnextyear!
