Scholarship Program
The Coastal Carolina Post provides partial multi-year college scholarships for high school students seeking college education in STEM fields. Here are the current scholarship recipients:
Samuel Benson
Sam Benson was recognized with the first installment of his college scholarship at MCB Camp Lejeune. Sam is a recent graduate of Lejeune High School and will attend Oklahoma State University in the fall to major in Mechanical Engineering.
“It is a true honor to be recognized by an organization with such a strong commitment to advancing both national security and the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders… I am committed to honoring this support by working hard, upholding the values of integrity and innovation, and eventually contributing to the mission of improving our nation’s infrastructure and defense through meaningful engineering work.” – Samuel Benson
Brandon Burrows
Brandon is the post’s most recently recognized college scholarship recipient. Brandon graduated from Lejeune High School in May 2025 and enters Virginia Tech in the fall as a member of the Corps of Cadets and Marine Corps and Naval ROTC cadet. Brandon plans to major in Mechanical Engineering. His four-year partial scholarship will increase each installment based on Evidence of Progress with his education.
Josh Lippy
Josh is from Swansboro, NC and a graduate of Gramercy Christian School. He will enter UNC Charlotte for the 2024 fall semester to study Mechanical Engineering. Accompanying Josh for the presentation of the first installment of his scholarship are his father, Josh Lippy, Joe Angell (Post VP), and Gil Burnet (E&M Chair).
Sam McClure
Sam lives in Wake Forest, NC, and is a graduate of Wake Forest High School. He is a sophomore at UNC Charlotte majoring in Computer Science. Sam’s dad, Doug McClure is a member of the Coastal Carolina Post.
Nathan Priechenfried
Nathan is from Hubert, NC, and graduated from Swansboro High School. He is an NC State University freshman and Engineering major. Nathan is and Eagle Scout, lifeguard at MCB Camp Lejeune, and has a long list of community service projects.
Matthew Peck
Matthew lives in Franklin, TN, and is a Franklin High School graduate. He attends NC State as a freshman and majors in Statistics. Matthew is an Eagle Scout, attended the SAME STEM Camp at the US Air Force Academy, and works as a cashier at Publix Supermarket.
SAME Summer Camps
SAME-USMC Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC
Camp Lejeune
Wilson Blvd, Jacksonville, NC 28543
The US Marine Corps SAME STEM Camp is an annual week long camp that offers a hands-on approach to learning and participating in engineering and construction activities. The camp is designed to create both a challenging and encouraging environment for high school students with an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math explore those fields. Located at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, the camp introduces participants to aspects of military life, such as sleeping in the barracks, eating in the galley, and morning pt. A mix of civilian and military engineers serve as mentors to the campers, guiding and teaching them throughout the camp. At the end of the week, one camper is selected by the mentors to receive a scholarship to help them pursue higher education in an engineering field of study.
In previous years, Campers came from 18 different states. 26 different Posts from around the Society sponsored the 50 campers attending the camp. During the camp, the campers were divided into 5 different squads. Each squad was led by one Marine Corps Non-Commissioned Officer and two SAME affiliated mentors. Throughout the week, squads competed in activities including designing and constructing a concrete beam, a trebuchet, a cardboard canoe (AAV), a storm water management device (BMP), and aircraft flight telemetry. The winner of each activity was presented a streamer to add to their squad’s flag.
For photos of this year’s camp, visit the SAME Camp Facebook page.
For more information and camp application: Visit the SAME Camps website.
Mentors and volunteers are needed and appreciated. Thank you.
Registration Is Now ClosedCommunities of Interest
SAME’s Communities of Interest offer members a chance to engage nationally with other professionals focused on a particular technical field or demographic within joint engineering and the A/E/C industry.