Article By: Denise Ray
The University of North Georgia (UNG) provided high school students with a firsthand look at the field of intelligence this summer.
From July 18-22, 40 rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors attended the National Intelligence Summer Academy (NISA). They spent four days on UNG's Cumming Campus and one day on the Dahlonega Campus. UNG's Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies (ILSS) funded the academy.
Dr. Edward Mienie, executive director of the strategic and security studies bachelor's degree program and partnerships and professor, together with ILSS created the academy, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.
We provided students with a context for understanding the important role intelligence has played in our nation's history and continues to play today and also provided foundational knowledge of intelligence, setting the stage for possible careers in the field
Dr. Edward Mienie
UNG executive director of the strategic and security studies bachelor's degree program and partnerships and professor
"The academy lifted the veil of secrecy on the hidden world of intelligence, exploring the history, challenges, and controversies," Mienie said. "We provided students with a context for understanding the important role intelligence has played in our nation's history and continues to play today and also provided foundational knowledge of intelligence, setting the stage for possible careers in the field."
Gustavo Gonzalez, a rising senior at Richmond Hill High School south of Savannah, Georgia, was able to attend the academy because his family drove up with him and spent the week in an RV park.
"I'm interested in UNG and intelligence, so I thought this was a perfect opportunity," Gonzalez said. "The intelligence community is close-knit with a lot of mutual trust and camaraderie."
Sean Sternot, a rising senior at Milton High School, is interested in the field and spent a great deal of time investigating it on his own before the academy. The week at UNG gave him more insight.
"I've been able to get a strong grasp on the processes for entering the intelligence community and what a career in the field would look like from experts who have worked in agencies ranging from the State Department to the FBI to the CIA," Sternot said.
Lily Carras, a rising senior at Sequoyah High School who is from Woodstock, Georgia, enjoyed the experience and said she is now considering studying at UNG.
"I thought the academy would lean more toward cybersecurity, one of my big interests, but it's more focused on the whole basis of special intelligence, and it was a welcome surprise because it helped me discover a new passion of mine," Carras said.
Dell Spry, a former FBI agent in the agency's Atlanta office who also once worked at the Pentagon, was one of the experts who shared their experiences with students.
"I want to impress upon the students that other people are going to be making the news, which is great, but they're going to be making history," Spry said. "The small things they do can literally change the world."
Melvin Gamble, who worked for the CIA for 40 years, spoke with students about the agency's desire to create a workforce of people from a wide variety of universities across the nation.
"What I saw and heard from the students today was exactly what I'd be looking for to recruit. It was a diverse group with a strong female participation," Gamble said. "The students were well-read and up-to-date on current events, so I didn't have to explain certain things to them. They were able to grasp the theories and issues quickly, they were participatory and they were very knowledgeable."
