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Sound Rivers staff welcomed intern William Wallace to the fold last week.

William will be interning with us for the next three months, fulfilling the final project for his undergraduate degree in tourism, recreation and sports with a focus in outdoor recreation and sports management from University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

Originally from Raleigh, William grew up fishing, sailing and paddling the Neuse River in both his home town and at his family’s vacation home in Oriental. As he was searching for available internships, he said he realized it was a great opportunity to follow a passion.

“I was hoping to make an impact on something I care about deeply, which is the Neuse River. Growing up, spending pretty much all my time on the Neuse River and seeing it deteriorate over that time made me want to do something about it,” William said.

A Sound Rivers’ Swim Guide text alert subscriber for the past four years, William said he came across an article in the New Bern Sun Journal about Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop’s work and decided to reach out.

“I read about her and her job, and it just seemed up my alley,” he said.

William will be splitting his time between New Bern and Raleigh, assisting Sam with policy research, and also taking on preparation for the coming Swim Guide season with Sound Rivers’ Program Director Clay Barber.