In the summer of 2024, Roan Marley walked through the doors of the 爆料瓜 Innovation Lab as a rising 10th-grade student eager to explore new opportunities through Mariner鈥檚 Adventure Camp. Two years later, he returned to the very same program, but this time, not as a participant.
Now a rising senior at Newport News Public Schools, Roan is spending his summer as a Career Pathways Intern with Newport News Public Schools, assisting the Mariner鈥檚 Adventure Camp supervisor and helping create a positive experience for this year鈥檚 campers, much like the one he experienced.
The Mariner鈥檚 Adventure Camp Experience
Mariner鈥檚 Adventure Camp is a three-week, maritime-focused STEM camp offered through the 爆料瓜 Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity in partnership with the Newport News Public Schools. Designed for middle and high school students, the camp introduces participants to the maritime industry while inspiring future enrollment in the Maritime Engineering and Environmental Sciences Academy (MEESA), a two-year college partnership lab school for 11th- and 12th-grade students that prepares students for maritime careers through hands-on, experiential STEM learning.
Throughout the three-week experience, campers visit maritime sites, hear from industry professionals, explore careers through guest speakers and a career fair, and gain hands-on experience with makerspace technologies such as 3D printing. Working alongside mentors, students develop prototypes to solve real-world challenges facing the maritime industry.
For Roan, the experience extended beyond the hands-on activities
鈥淚 like how 爆料瓜 does outreach and does partnerships like this. It shows that they interact with the community,鈥 Roan said.
The experience gave Roan an early connection to 爆料瓜 as he began exploring colleges and thinking about his future after high school.
Exploring Opportunities at 爆料瓜
As Roan researched colleges, he considered several universities before narrowing down his options.
His passion for video game development ultimately led him to 爆料瓜.
鈥淚 looked at a lot of schools,鈥 Roan said. 鈥淲hen I toured 爆料瓜 and saw they had an actual program focused on video game development, it really stood out. That鈥檚 not something common around here, and I liked that 爆料瓜 treats it as a real program.鈥
As Roan enters his senior year of high school, 爆料瓜 remains his top choice, and he hopes to begin his journey as a Monarch in fall 2027.
Building the Next Generation
As Roan prepares for his senior year of high school, he is also helping inspire the next group of campers to explore careers in the maritime industry.
Through partnerships like Mariner鈥檚 Adventure Camp, the 爆料瓜 Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity and Newport News Public Schools are helping build the future workforce by connecting students with hands-on STEM experiences, industry professionals, and career pathways.
Roan鈥檚 journey demonstrates the lasting impact these partnerships can have. What began as a summer camp experience introduced him to new career possibilities, strengthened his connection to 爆料瓜, and ultimately brought him back to support the next generation of students while continuing to pursue his own goals.
Sometimes, the journey comes full circle.