Timber Creek law classes got the opportunity to meet Edward Quintana, a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, during their class on Friday, Nov. 3.
Special agent Quintana came to talk to the students about career opportunities in law enforcement, particularly in the FBI. Students interested in a career were also able to get an inside scoop on what a job in the field would consist of. Quintana even told the students of different cases he has had to work in the past.
He explained how a career in this field is challenging and that they need the brightest kids of all walks of life to be the future of the FBI.
“I believe it is a great career and if we can inspire the youth to just think about the opportunity of applying for the FBI then I think we come out ahead as winners because in the future we need good smart people to work for us,” he said. “If we could tap in to the youth of today and get them interested or at least get them exposed to who we are as an organization, [they will] consider us a career choice when their making their decision.”
Application for a job in the FBI is a long process of written tests, interviews, physical requirements, and background checks. Although challenging, Quintana wanted to stress how rewarding this career is, not just for themselves, but the country too.
“We are here and we are not just in Washington D.C., we are not just in the movies,” he elaborated. “We do work with other police agencies and … law enforcement to fulfill our mission, which is quite simply to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution.”
He also brought in equipment and tools for the students to see and even demonstrated how they worked. These tools included a shield, ram, handcuffs, bellyband and more.
Some of the classes that were able to be at the presentation were Law Enforcement 1, Principles of Law Public Service and Corrections, Forensics Psychology and members of the Public Safety Club. Hailey Richardson, President of the Public Safety Club, expressed her gratitude for the experience.
“It was a great opportunity to have somebody that was a law enforcement officer come in and represent the Federal Bureau of Investigation and have people come in and want to know more about it,” she said. “It gives us more opportunities and more career paths to look into.”
Quintana left with some advice to the students in the class: stay in school, get a four year degree in college, stay out of trouble, make good choices, and consider the FBI as a career when eligible.
