<body><div>More than 70 students form 35 different high schools had the opportunity to experience what the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division has to offer on Tuesday at the fourth annual FBI Teen Academy.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2VoHzh_0w8xZuWY00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2VoHzh_0w8xZuWY00" width="600" height="450" ></figure>To receive a spot in the Teen Academy, students were evaluated on their application (GPA, school activities and community involvement) and they also had to submit an essay.“It’s a great opportunity for these students to see behind the scenes and what we do at the FBI,” said Scott Schubert, Section Chief of Law Enforcement and Data Gathering. “It’s not just about the agent positions. There are a whole lot of people behind the scenese doing a lot to keep our country safe.“The FBI offers so many things. I wish I had this when I was growing up. We want the students to see what is available. A lot of the students here have been part of the academy before and we want them to come back.”Students rotated through various stations on the CJIS campus including the evidence response team, the firearms simulator, biometrics, the multi-meadia department and a new addition this year – a law enforcement round table.Schubert said the purpose of the law enforcemnt round table was to provide the opportunity to get to know and hear from local law enforcement officers and FBI agents on what fuels them to do what they do to help keep our country safe.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3A0rUW_0w8xZuWY00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3A0rUW_0w8xZuWY00" width="600" height="450" ></figure>The round table was a hit with some of the students who have now participated multiple times in the Teen Academy.“We talked to a special agent and a retired police officer from Pittsburgh and I thought it was fantastic,” Bridgeport High School senior Michael Romano said. “They gave us a lot of insight on what they do and how they work together.“It gives you a different outlook hearing rom them directly. It’s definitely eye-opening.”His classmates, Gretchen Lang and Keira Klingensmith, both also returnees to the academy, concurred with Romano’s views on the round table.Lang said she really enjoyed seeing how passionate the agents and law enforcement officers were and Klingensmith enoyed their stories about undercover work.“It’s amazing to hear about everything here,” Lang said. “It’s so much more than the special agents. There’s so many other carrers and so much you can do with your life with the FBI. I’m always excited to see the biometrics department.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0vIDRj_0w8xZuWY00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0vIDRj_0w8xZuWY00" width="635" height="551" ></figure>“I’ve been here a lot on family days and was at last year’s academy,” Klingensmith said. “But it’s always amazing to see everything there is here. You just don’t realize it uniti you are here. I really liked talking to the agent who was with the SWAT team.”Another BHS senior and academy returnee, Carson Currey, said the experience of being on the CJIS campus never gets old and he enjoys new additions like the round table.“I think it’s cool to just learn about the atmosphere and what’s behind the scenes because a lot of people have never been to the FBI,” Currey said. “Like with anything, you don’t want to see the exact same thing every time. It’s always nice to see new things, meet new people.”The fact that CJIS is basically in their backyard isn’t something that the BHS students take for granted.“I’m always surprised to come back here and see how much is here and it brings to West Virginia and Bridgeport,” Romano said. “I want to talk to everybody I can because this is a career I want to get into and it’s great to get so much information first-hand.”Editor's Note: Top photo shows Kyle Jenkins, multi-media specialist with CJIS, talking to students during Tuesday's Teen Academy. Middle photo is of Scott Schubert, Section Chief of Law Enforcement and Data Gathering. Bottom photo is of BHS seniors (from left) Gretchen Lang, Keira Klingensmith, MIchael Romano and Carson Currey.</div></body>

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High School Students from State and Beyond, Get Up Close View of FBI During Annual Teen Academy

More than 70 students form 35 different high schools had the opportunity to experience what the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division has to offer on Tuesday at the fourth annual FBI Teen Academy. To receive a spot in the Teen Academy, students were evaluated on their application (GPA, school...