Mt. Pleasant, SC – Oceanside Collegiate Academy’s new Biology teacher took an unusual route to the Sharktank for his new role during the 2023-24 academic year.
A native of North Carolina, Clinet Furr relocated to Mount Pleasant with his wife Robin and three children in 2007. A graduate of Appalachian State University in 1988, Furr taught Biology, Chemistry and Animal Physiology at ASU immediately after completing his degree before venturing away from being an educator for a while.
From 1988-98, Furr served as a Health Inspector for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. During that time, he inspected restaurants, daycare centers, nursing homes as well as residential, commercial and retail properties.
While serving as a Health Inspector, he also opened his own martial arts studio where he taught traditional Chinese Martial Arts, gaining a national reputation for his contributions to the arts while training more than 1,000 students.
During his career as a Martial Arts instructor, he was trained by multiple world class martial artists, including numerous grand masters. He holds advanced rank in Kung-fu, Arnis, Karate, Ninjitsu and Sasamba. He is certified to teach by the World Musol Kwan Federation and the International Kungfu Arnis Association.
His combined is passions for science and martial arts in 2009 when he released a book called “The Physics of Martial Arts”. He has published three other books that focus on martial arts: “Healing Meditations”, “105 Things Every Martial Artist Should Know!” and “Introduction to Shaolin Kung-fu: A Teacher Guide to Breaking Boards and Concrete Blocks”.
"I am excited for Mr. Furr's years of experience teaching kids in several different avenues to be brought to OCA,” Oceanside principal Christina Brown said. “Choosing to be an educator for the love of your content and for children among other opportunities is exceptional, especially right now in education."
Furr has instructed students from a broad range of backgrounds and worked as an educator for the NC School of Science and Mathematics "Summer Ventures" program, the Upward Bound Program, as well as at Stall and Wando High Schools. In addition to his work within the public school system. He has been featured in “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance” and “Black Belt Magazines” for his innovative business which integrated martial arts into the school system.
In his spare time, Furr got involved in real estate renovations and he is a licensed realtor in the Mount Pleasant area.
Furr is excited to offer his knowledge and enthusiasm to Oceanside Collegiate Academy during the 2023-24 academic year. He enjoys the family-oriented educational environment that emphasizes academic performance and putting kids first. This supports his engaging and enthusiastic teaching style, which is built on project-based learning.
In addition to his degree from Appalachian State, Furr studied Food Sciences at North Carolina State and he studied Epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. His interests include traveling with his family, book authoring, scuba diving, hiking and gardening.
About Oceanside Collegiate Academy: Oceanside Collegiate Academy (OCA), located in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while earning up to two years of college credit. OCA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades.
Learn more about OCA by visiting our website at OceansideCollegiateAcademy.org and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channel.