Source: US FBI
Late last year, the FBI Columbia Field Office hosted the first-ever South Carolina-based Collegiate Academy. The program gave students from colleges and universities across state a look at life at the Bureau.
The Collegiate Academy Program is a free, but competitive, program that immerses participants in all things FBI, including career opportunities, live demonstrations, and interactive activities.
Then-FBI Columbia Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul “Reid” Davis—who now works in the Bureau’s Washington Field Office—said the program has a two-fold goal, the first being “to create young ambassadors for the FBI that go back out into the community and can speak to the great work done by the FBI.” The second hope is that it will inspire attendees to potentially become the next generation of Bureau employees.
“This is the first time we’re having this program in Columbia, South Carolina, so we’re excited to have those students come in and learn more about the FBI,” said FBI Columbia Community Outreach Specialist Chiquanda Tillie. “We’re hoping that the students will be able to share this information with their family, friends, and other students from their colleges and universities.”
The FBI’s Community Relations Unit (CRU), based in Washington, D.C., created the Collegiate Academy Program with the students’ needs in mind. “With the Collegiate Academy, the duration of the course is customizable and based on the student’s semester course load, the classes can be held on campus, and the students and administration have a say in crafting the curriculum,” said Lorie Campbell, who works with CRU at FBI Headquarters.
The Collegiate Academy program cultivates trust between the Bureau and the communities we serve by fostering conversations between our personnel and student participants and by telling the Bureau’s story. “We seek to show our commitment to protecting the American people by sharing information about threats and the FBI’s crime-prevention activities,” Campbell explained.
To date, over 20 FBI field offices across the country have collectively hosted more than 113 Collegiate Academy sessions.
What the day looked like
The 42 students chosen to attend FBI Columbia’s debut session were standouts from a pool of more than 170 applicants, Davis explained. The October 2024 Collegiate Academy class represented a total of 18 colleges and universities.
Following introductions, an icebreaker, and a group photo, students received an overview of the FBI mission and culture. That brief was followed by panel about career opportunities at the FBI and featured employees from a broad swath of roles within the Bureau. Panelists spoke about their unique roles in the Bureau and provided application advice, lessons learned from their personal experiences, and insights into the demands of their respective positions.
A representative from FBI Columbia’s Physical Training Unit gave students a detailed rundown of the FBI Physical Fitness Test, or PFT, including common pitfalls related to form. A student even volunteered to demonstrate proper sit-up technique.
Then, FBI Columbia Supervisory Special Agent Craig Januchowski provided a case study on the hate crime investigation into Dylann Roof. During this session, he laid out how investigators built the case, discussed the suspect’s profile and digital footprint, and showed interview footage and photo evidence.
Later in the day, students also saw demonstrations from the field office’s SWAT team, Evidence Response Team, bomb program, and tech program.