More than 50 high school students from the metro participated in what is described as one of the most realistic and hands on looks into a career as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Friday marks the conclusion and graduation for students with the Youth Leadership Academy.
This is the fifth year the academy has been held at the Portland FBI Field Office. Of the 56 FBI field offices, not every division puts on a youth academy.
Officials said the students selected have expressed interest in a potential law enforcement career.
The three day course gave students direct access to FBI agents.
Yeny Soler, who will be sophomore next year, said she is interested in pursuing a career in forensics or psychology.
“I like talking with all the different agents,” Soler said. “They would explain to us the process of (becoming) an agent.”
The agents also dispelled some of the myths students have of what an FBI agent does.
“I had no idea what it was about,” Bailey Monlux said.
Monlux, who will be a senior this fall, said agents were quick to go over the history of the FBI.
“I just thought it was suits, sunglasses, gun, bust through some houses and what not,” he said laughing, realizing that he wasn’t alone in his thoughts.
On Friday, to wrap up their class, students participated in a mock kidnapping case.
The complex case scenario had the students working out of a command post inside the nerve center of the FBI’s building near Portland International Airport.
The students had to interview witnesses, take notes, brief the United States Attorney’s Office and prepare a federal search warrant for a judge to review.
Applications for next year’s class are expected to open sometime in spring 2015.