Psychology within the FBI

Psychology & the FBI
What is the most important factor in an unidentified subject's psychological profile?

Monday, September 30, 2013

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.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

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?

Saturday, September 7, 2013

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. 

Thursday, August 29, 2013

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?
     
       

Thursday, August 22, 2013

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. 

Sunday, August 18, 2013

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.