An Introduction to Marine Careers on the Rappahannock
On March 4, 2025, Friends of the Rappahannock hosted the first-ever Marine Career Day in Tappahannock, Virginia, at the Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department. The event was designed to open students’ eyes to the meaningful, local blue and green jobs available right here in their own watershed. Throughout the day, 11th- and 12th-grade students rotated through a bustling room full of professionals, from oyster farmers and conservationists to engineers, technicians, and outdoor recreation experts, each ready to share what they do and why it matters.
Students didn’t just pick up brochures; they had real conversations. Many lingered at tables to ask follow-up questions, listen to personal stories, and get honest advice about career paths they may have never considered before. “I had no idea there were so many jobs connected to the river,” one student said.
Another student reflected on how the experience helped make the future feel less abstract. “These are real jobs—jobs people our age could actually do in a couple of years,” she shared.
For many, the event was about more than learning what positions exist. It was about seeing themselves in those roles—and imagining a future rooted in home. That’s exactly what Claire Wilmore, Environmental Educator, hoped to spark. “We want students to know that their community has opportunities for them—good opportunities that make a difference,” Wilmore said. “If even a handful of students walk away thinking, ‘There’s a place for me here,’ then this event is already a success.”
The day strengthened students’ sense of connection to their local community and workforce, planting seeds of possibility for careers that support both people and the river. As one student summed it up, “It makes you feel proud, you know? Like the river needs us, and we can actually be part of taking care of it.”
The next Marine Career Day is already set for March 10, 2026, at the Rappahannock Tribal Lodge at Cat Point Creek Refuge in Warsaw, Virginia. We look forward to another inspiring, impactful event that continues to build pathways for the next generation of river stewards.
We would like to extend an overwhelming thank you to our community partners and local school districts for joining us for the 2025 Marine Career Day.
Community Partners: Bay Consortium Workforce Development Board, Coles Point Partners, LLC, Colonial Farm Credit, Essex Farm Bureau and their Women’s Committee, Hanover-Caroline Soil and Water Conservation District, Northern Neck Electric Cooperative, Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends, Rogue Oysters, Steamboat Wharf Oyster Company, Three Rivers Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and King and Queen State Fish Hatchery, Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech – College of Natural Resources and Environment, W.H. Murray Marine and Guide Services, Westmoreland State Park, and Yankee Point Marina.
The schools in attendance for 2025 included: Caroline High School, Gloucester High School, Lancaster High School, Northern Neck Technical Center, Northumberland High School, and West Point High School.
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