Connor Crawford
Student Life Editor
On Tuesday, September 10, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Kim Blackwood spoke to students about what it is like to have a career in the FBI. Over forty students attended the event.
Blackwood’s talk is part of a weekly Keene State program called The Career Speaker Series. The Career Speaker Series takes place every Tuesday night and is a program where Keene State invites professionals from a multitude of different careers to speak with students. The event can be beneficial to many students as it allows them to explore different careers and job options after graduation.
“It is always important to hear from professionals as a college student. It helps bring about new perspectives on real-world job opportunities that [students] might not have known about prior, or to learn insights on things that we did not know of,” said junior and criminal science major Mikayla Campbell. Junior Samuel Turco agreed that the talks were beneficial. “I believe that it’s important that the school has different speakers from different careers because it helps students with answering the question of ‘what will I do after college,’” Turco said. “A lot of students are stressed, busy, or outright have no clue what they want to do. Having these options come to them and talk about the career that can be beneficial to students.”
Junior Emily Emery, said that her favorite part of the experience was hearing about Blackwood’s personal experiences in the FBI. “My favorite part of the event was how [Blackwood] talked about her own experiences in Quantico. Hearing her stories and how she got to where she is was very interesting to hear about,” Emery said.
Turco’s favorite part of the experience was when Blackwood showed the audience a video of what it takes to become an FBI Special Agent. “My favorite part had to be the training video we were shown about becoming a federal agent. It was great to have a visual of what the training was like and showed how grizzly it was, which seemed to get me more fascinated.”
Campbell said her greatest takeaway from the event was not to give up on your dreams.“As cliche as this sounds, Special Agent Kimberly Blackwood’s story of her progress from being a file clerk to a special agent was due to the fact that she had confidence in herself and worked hard to get where she is today,” Campbell said. “It also lets students know not to be discouraged if your first job outside of college is not what you had in mind. There is always room for improvement and always time to progress in your professional careers.”
Blackwood’s talk influenced some students to take an interest in a career with the FBI. Emery said, “After the event, I have been greatly considering applying for an internship with the FBI over the summer. I think that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and great experience to have.”
Blackwood gave her the best advice to those who were interested in working for the FBI. “Stay out of trouble, do not use drugs and stick with what you enjoy. Go out and experience as many life experiences as you can because with those life experiences come experiences that can help you grow as a person. And remember, everything that you do will help you lead to where you are going,” Blackwood said.
Blackwood also expressed how the FBI is not for everyone. “I am not here to tell every student to join the FBI. However, I am here to make students aware that the opportunity exists,” Blackwood said.
From the student experiences at the talk, the Career Speaker Series is beneficial for learning about careers after college. So if you are a student who is not sure what job they want after graduation, or are interested in learning about the multitude of careers that are out in the world, the Career Speakers Series can help you learn. The Career Speaker Series happens every Tuesday at 6 pm in the Science Center, room 101.
Connor Crawford can be contacted at
ccrawford@kscequinox.com
