FBI Teen Academy! 11-16-13

So the FBIs Teen Academy finally happened and it was super cool. Basically the Teen Academy is something my mentor Karen began, it is a day for teens to learn about the FBI and whether or not they would be interested in it or another section of law enforcement in the future. The day consists of various speakers that come in and give presentations to the kids invited. One of the best parts was that it was in an actual FBI facility so it was all really professional and everything required clearance. Another part that was really great was that since I am there to accompany and work with Karen I was given more FBI clearance then the other students there. Many of the students were coming up to me and asking questions and because they aw me working with my mentor they all assumed I was older. The faces they made when i told them i was the same age as them were priceless.
Anyway, the day started off bright and early and lasted the duration of a normal school day, the only differences being: we were in a high security FBI building, the lecturers were all FBI agents, and I had to accompany people to the restroom whenever they had to go. My mentor began the day with some history on the FBI and its general ideas. After that a CART (Computer Analysis Response Team) technician spoke about her job. this consisted of how they exact evidence from any type of digital device and what they have to do in order to use it to properly incriminate the person. Following her was the Civil Rights Specialist who gave a great presentation on what his job pertains to, mostly any cases that go directly against the civil rights of another person. The ASAC ( Assistant Special Agent - in Charge) then followed with a presentation on gangs. He spoke far longer than he was supposed to but he was such a great speaker no one noticed except for those of us running the event. From his speech the main thing I gathered was that "Hurt people, hurt people", I don't think I'll ever forget that. The last presentation of the dat was the K-9 unit, which meant a bomb sniffing dog. This was particularly interesting because the dog, Salem, would go from playful and puppy-like to serious and ready for business the next. At the end of all this, I learned a lot and got to meet plenty of new great people.

Me attempting to take a picture with Salem, the bomb sniffing dog!

The ASAC during his presentation on gangs. 

My mentor Karen shaking hands and thanking the special agent who made the presentation on Civil Rights. 

Some of the other students watching and hanging out as Karen tried to get past all the FBI computer's ever-changing passwords.

EQ

1. I have reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.
2.
   a. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
       No, I do not believe this question meets the rule of 3 criteria. While it does present the possibility for multiple answers it is not that specific and does not take a stance.
   b. What is most important in securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
       This EQ seems to work, it states what kind of investigation although it could be more specific as to what kind of criminal investigation. A stance is taken and a framework for research is provided.
   c. What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
       This EQ is based off the opinion of the customers, this means that it may be hard to research because all the customers are different. Aside from that, it is a pretty good EQ.
   d. How can and Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
       The question follows the rule of three, but at the same time could be more specific because there are many different types of chronic body pain. The question can take a stance though and be backed by reliable research so overall it seems good.
3. What is the most important factor in the creation of an unsub's profile?

Research and Working EQ

1.  What is your working EQ?
     How are psychology and criminology used within the FBI?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ?

• Psychology can be used to create psychological profiles, these profiles can assist FBI team in catching criminals or obtaining suspects. 
• Criminology assists agents in gaining a different point of view on their cases, this insight can lead to more success in closing cases, hostage negotiations, and much more. 

3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?
    The most important source i have used to come up with answers to my EQ is Mind Hunter by John Douglas. Not only did this book provide a direct point of view but it showed the entire process of psychology and criminology being used within the FBI and why.

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

     My mentor is Karen Martin from the FBI, she has been very helpful in showing me how the FBI works and what it does. She has much interest in psychology like I do and because of this has been able to assist me in finding research and other people to talk with. 

Independent Component 1 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

For my Independent Component I plan to add an additional outlet for research to my topic by working with professors of Criminology and Psychology. Hopefully, working with people in the field can not only provide more background but a mentor as well. Through this I hope to gain more knowledge in my topic and more connections with people that can assist me. Learning from these sources will give greater insight and make it easier to retain the information, than simply reading from articles and books. With another mentor I would like to experience more and go more into the general idea of my EQ and not just the FBI. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

In order to show evidence of my 30 hours I will most likely provide photos, if there is anything of interest to photograph. Working with a new mentor I will also gain a lot of new knowledge that will indirectly show evidence of my 30 hours. 

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

My Independent Component will help explore my topic in more depth because at the moment with my mentorship I am mostly focused on the FBI. With a different mentor I hope to focus on the other aspect of criminology. Concentrating this component on my other area of interest will allow me more research and exploration. 

Update!

I was hoping to post pictures and write all about the FBI Teen Academy for this blog but sadly it was cancelled. Another is in the works of being planned and I will have those pictures and details once the event happens.
In other news, my mentor Karen recently took a couple weeks vacation to celebrate her birthday and her husbands retirement. Because of this we have not gotten together recently. Of course, I did not want this to stop me from making progress on my senior project so I have been contacting other people both within the FBI or involved in profiling.
Sadly, I have been promised interviews and been given good sources to use, but no one who is able to help me any further than that. I hope to go back to working with Karen soon but until then i will continue making phone calls and talking to as many people as possible.
Besides that, there is not much to update about my senior project, so far it has been relatively normal and informative but waiting for the events I can attend to pick up again.

Blog 6 : Second Interview Questions

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?
My mentor is Karen Martin and she works with the FBI as the community outreach specialist. 

2.  What five questions will ask them about their background?

1. What schooling have you done, how was the process for you. 
2. Can you briefly summarize your work history and experiences?
3. What excites you about the work you do?
4. Can you describe what working for the FBI is like?
5. Can you name one of the biggest obstacles in your career path and how you dealt with it?
6. Did you at any point have a mentor or someone who helped you that helped you throughout your career?

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

The Pentagon:

1. Positive Statement - As a result of everything I have completed so far, I have met many new people. The entire mentorship and interview process so far has been all about building contacts that I will use in the future. this has been extremely beneficial because i have learned and will continue to learn so much from all the different people I have met. 
2. EQ Content - The book i have been reading as part of my research has been very helpful. So far the book has been all about how the FBI began to use psychology and why. not only is it really interesting but it is easy and fun to read. The book has given me new insight and things to think about as I continue to research and work on my project. 
3. So far what has worked for me in Senior Project would probably be my mentor. She is great and always doing her best to help me and involve me as much as she can. Karen has been a key part of everything I have accomplished so far within Senior Project. 
4. What hasn't worked so far would probably be the psychology aspect of my project. It has been more difficult to move forward in that section with my mentor and other contacts. Although people have attempted to help, since my project involves the FBI it is difficult to get the help that would benefit me the most. 
5. Finding Value - 

• My working EQ is something i have been trying to figure out for a while. Of course, I would prefer to do something involving Psychology with the FBI, but I'm not sure if that will be possible. I'm still hoping though so as of now my EQ would be something like: How are Psychology and Criminology used within the FBI?
• As of now I am mentoring with Karen Martin, a community outreach specialist for the FBI. Later on, I hope to be able to learn from someone who is more specialized towards what I would like my topic to be on for my senior project. If not, I am going to try to find someone who can teach me about Criminology and Psychology in general. 

FBI Teen Academy!

It's official!!! The FBI Teen Academy is actually happening! Before I get too excited here's a bit of back story...
When I first met my mentor Karen we spent quite a while talking about how unfortunate it was that there is no program for the FBI that is available to high school students. College students can gain internships in the FBI, but there was no program for high schoolers interested in the FBI such as the Police Explorers for those interested in law enforcement. Of course, Karen knew about this problem and had been attempting to address it, but after hearing about all my firsthand difficulty in pursuing this field I was truly inspired in we had a reason to try harder. my amazing mentor has placed me at the ground floor of this entire project, checking with me and informing me of advancement within the planning.
On Wednesday, her and I met and we headed over to the West Covina Youth Council meeting. While there we explained what the event was and handed application packets to everyone attending the meeting. The first FBI Teen Academy will take place Saturday September 27th  and will feature such classes as cybercrime, antiterrorism, and community safety. Since this is the first, of hopefully many, to come the event will only consist of one day from 9am - 3pm, yet in the end we hope to be able to achieve a week long summer activity that will consist of many different classes and training exercises. I look forward to this event with high hopes and anticipation, eager to see it all come together. also, i hope that once I am able to work with my mentor and the FBI more i will be a more influential part in hosting these.
Anyway, right now all I can really do is answer any emails I get from my mentor and meet her when needed until the event. Anxious for the day of the event and all the great knowledge and experience i will continue to gain throughout my mentorship.

Blog 4: Interview

1. For my first interview I plan to interview my mentor Karen Martin. Although Karen is not precisely in the same field my project is on, she is the Outreach Specialist and will be capable of answering most, if not all,  of my more general questions.
2. What schools do you recommend or  which would be most useful in being recognized by the FBI?

          What part of you job do you find most interesting? What part do you think is most difficult or
          challenging?
         
          Although your career has taken many different turns in many different directions are you happy  
          where you ended up? Is there anything you would have preferred to change?
     
       

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Semester 1 ESLR Goals

1. Topic Choice: Psychology and Criminology within the FBI 
2. ESLRs

• iPoly Citizen - This year I plan to excel as a iPoly citizen, not only as the E-Board Vice President but by also involving myself with committees throughout the year. This is my last year of high school and I would like to make it as memorable year by interacting with as many people and participating in the planning of as many events as possible. 
• Effective Learner - All the core classes seem extremely engaging and beneficial, I hope to gain as much from them as possible. At the same time, I anticipate to gain a lot of knowledge and experience througout my mentorship and participation with the FBI.
• Effective User of Technology - Since my mentor is a  very busy woman, our most often form of communication to set meetings is email. Of course, this means I must get more used to frequently checking on and replying to emails. Along with this, I am very forgetful and hope to break my habit of not checking the blog as frequently as I should.   
• Effective Communicator - Although I like to believe I am capable of performing well in professional settings it has come to my realization that my vocabulary and enunciation does not always come across as it should. This is something I hope to improve on not just for the sake of my mentorship and my future but also model assembly. 

Summer Mentorship Component

1. AnalysaG - Mentorship Log
2. Karen Martin, (909) 993 - 2458
3. I don't have many questions after having completed the beginning of my mentorship, all the basic questions I had were answered. Mostly, I still wonder                                                                    - How college will influence my current hopes (as in degrees and schools)?                                        - Also, during my mentorship I learned there was a hiring freeze in my possible field, and was wondering if this had potential to effect  me in any way?
4. The most important thing I gained from this mentorship experience was being involved with the FBI community. Simply talking and being surrounded by these people was a great way to gain insight to a possible future. To me this could not have been any better because I have already began learning a lot. Also, during my mentorship I made many connections to people that can be a great help in my future. 
5. What I did this summer gave me much more confidence in the FBI as a topic. Of course, I still would like to focus on Criminology because this is my goal in the future. But for now I hope to continue pursuing and gaining knowledge in the FBI field and its possibilities. Also, as my mentoring has ben limited I am not quite sure how to combine and apply my ideal topics or if that would even be a possibility. 

2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

1. The 2-hour presentations I witnessed were:

• Consultation Pharmacist - Gina T. 
• Special Needs Behavioral Consultant - Clara A. 
• Real Estate - Teo C. 
• Dance Choreography - Valerie N. 
• Film Directing - Amanda M. 
• Scope Surgery - Taylor M. 
• Deaf Culture - Rachel H. 
• Independent Short Films - Yesenia R. 
• Molecular Biology - Alissa M. 
• Violin - Alexa C.

2. Watching all the seniors present their final two hour answered a lot more questions than I was expecting. I don't really have many questions although a few things still bother me. 

• Is Senior Project worked on throughout the year? If so, how dominant is it throughout the year?
• I saw a varying amount of activities during the presentations, is there a specific amount required?
• How many mentors are necessary? Are we allowed to have more then one throughout the process?

3. In my eyes the most important part of Senior presentations is knowing your information. The difference in the people who completely knew the ins and outs of their topic was very easy to realize.  Although questions and activities are both interesting and important knowing your topic well contributes to both of these greatly. Going more in depth in information and research made a big difference in the quality of the Senior Projects. 

4. Even after seeing all the projects I still do not have my topic fully decided yet. I do however know that i would like to do something relating to psychology. Hopefully if I can find a mentor I will do it on criminal psychology because that is what I truly want to study in the end. As of now I do have connections to some people in the field of psychology but I would like to expand these next year through the Senior Project.