CLARKSBURG — Eighty-five high school juniors and seniors from over 30 schools statewide, including a few from Morgantown, University and Preston high schools, got a behind-the-scenes, hands-on look at careers with the FBI Thursday while attending the Teen Academy at the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division in Clarksburg.
The teen academy invited students interested in future criminal justice-related careers to spend the day with real FBI agents and learn about some of the things they do while in the field.
The day-long event allowed the students to learn about and participate in a number of different activities, including K9 units, SWAT teams, evidence response teams, and the opportunity for open discussion with real FBI agents talking about what they do in the field.
Law Enforcement Support Section Chief Scott Schubert, said the academy “gives us the opportunity to talk with them – get to know them, they get to know us. Recognize that we live in the communities that they live in and what an awesome opportunity it is for them if they went into this line of work.”
Schubert said the hands-on approach helps the teens “feel a part of it and they take something back from it.”
“I love the fact that it could be one interaction that one of the students had with one of the FBI personnel here today that they’re never gonna forget,” he said. “That had that type of impact that’s gonna help guide them in their life to what they want to do – to follow their dreams and accomplish them.”
Dalton Auvil, who attended the academy from Buckhannon-Upshur High School, said he has had a lifelong goal of working for the FBI and wanted to use the opportunity to experience it firsthand.
“It’s way more than I ever thought it would be,” he said. “It was awesome – so much more than I thought.
“Not many kids get the opportunity to do this. You see the FBI on TV all day, but to actually come to an event like this and do in-person activities like this is huge – not many people get to do this kind of stuff.”
Auvil said that seeing what actually happens behind the scenes at the FBI was “way different” than what you see on TV.
“The things you get to experience is unreal,” he said. “To be able to actually pick up and mess around with the things they have in there – especially the SWAT stuff – I mean the vest you can actually see, the weapons – that’s stuff you would never get to experience on your own.”
Schubert said the teen academy is a unique opportunity for the department and it’s something they can do to give back to the community and build relationships.
He also hopes that giving the teens this type of behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working for the FBI, and learning from the people who actually do it, will help to confirm that this is really what they want to do.
“For us it’s about, one – being connected to the community,” he said. “Two – these are our future leaders and hopefully some of them will work for the FBI at some point, so that’s really what we are here for.”
Thursday’s teen academy was the second of its kind to be held at the CJIS location, but Schubert said they are looking forward to providing more opportunities like this for area students.
