Sam Gervais
Executive Director
Sam joined LMS in the summer of 2019 after nine years in education teaching high school history. He brings years of experience working with students of all ages and is excited by the educational opportunities LMS is able to offer children in the Lowcountry. Sam majored in History and Education at Clemson University and has a strong interest in our local history, especially as it connects to our maritime heritage.
A native of Johns Island, Sam grew up messing about in boats in the Stono River and other local waterways. He enjoys sailing, fishing, shrimping, or any other excuse to be on the water and is excited to share his love of the Lowcountry with students.
Rachel Bergquist
Rachel is a boatbuilder with an affinity for traditional oar or sail powered wooden craft, as well as making that kind of boating accessible to everybody. Rachel loves working with children and watching them gain confidence and competence using tools, and taking pride in their work. She is delighted to help the students begin to acquire a skillset which will be of practical use throughout their lives, as well as inspire the spirit of dreams and possibilities being achievable. If at ten years old, a kid who has never picked up a drill before can build a real boat that floats and row it themselves – what a wonderful point of departure to show them what they are capable of.
Rachel spent a considerable part of her childhood in the water; swimming in the pools, rivers, lakes, and beaches of Texas, but did not dive into the world of boats until she finished university. A trained geographer, she has lived on the Gulf, West, and Mediterranean coasts, and has learned boatbuilding from a trial-and-error self-taught foray to an apprenticeship under a master boatbuilder. She has worked with several historic boat organizations, and even owned and restored a couple herself. She is thrilled to now be on the Carolina coast and bring her experience and enthusiasm to LMS and the students we serve.
Prentice Brower
Founder
Prentice has been with the Lowcountry Maritime School since the beginning, helping to create the first programs LMS launched and working to build a sustainable organization with a meaningful and exciting impact.
Prentice was raised on the waters of the Lowcountry teaching sailing in the summers and racing throughout the year. He graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Political Science. Shortly after graduation, Prentice began an apprentice with a local wooden boat builder and helped a newly formed wooden boat building company get started. After two years, he went on to help create the Lowcountry Maritime School.
Contact Prentice
Lowcountry Maritime School 