Dan Emmett

I graduated in 1978.

I earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice here and also have a master's degree in education.

I was a member of the Corps of Cadets while at the university.

I currently am an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Auburn University.

After graduating, I commissioned into the Marine Corps and served from 1977 to 1981, rising to the rank of captain.

After being accepted into the Secret Service training program in 1983, I spent 21 years as a Secret Service agent, including six years on the Presidential Protection Detail. I protected presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. My daily duties and challenges included conducting presidential advances, dealing with the media, driving the president in a bullet-proof limousine, jogging alongside him through the streets of Washington, and flying with him on Airforce One.

Following the September 11 attacks, the Central Intelligence Agency offered me a job in the counterterrorism center, where I remained for six years. I retired from the Secret Service in 2004, then worked as an instructor in the U.S. Secret Service Academy.

I chose UNG for the same reasons as hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have passed through the school since its inception -- North Georgia is a place where you learn the values of leadership, discipline, honor and commitment.

How did UNG help me prepare for my career? As a child, I wanted to be a Secret Service agent and I wanted to be a military officer. North Georgia just seemed to be the most logical starting point. It was an environment that encouraged people to be their best and really re-emphasized what I'd been taught by my parents: honor, discipline, service to one's country, and trying to do your best at everything you attempt.