Team USA Athletes Welcomed by FBI
Bureau Holds Career Information Session for Olympians and Paralympians
For some U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes, choosing a full-time career path will be their next challenge now that they’ve returned home from the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The FBI intends to make that process easier through a hiring initiative that introduces athletes to job opportunities at the Bureau.
More than 70 Team USA members visited FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Saturday to learn how their athletic and educational experiences could be applied to positions at the FBI. Special agents, intelligence analysts, and human resources specialists were all on hand to share the variety of options currently open to prospective candidates.
The October 1 visit began with opening remarks from Associate Deputy Director David Bowdich, who highlighted the FBI’s mission and core values and stressed the importance of maintaining a diverse workforce.
“We need to do everything we can in our power to mirror our country, and we’re taking great strides to diversify to the best of our ability,” said Bowdich. “It will make us more effective as an organization.”
While Saturday morning’s visit was the first time the FBI has welcomed such a large group of Olympians and Paralympians to its Headquarters, recruiting dedicated athletes to join the workforce is nothing new for the Bureau.
Special Agent Jason Read, for example, continues to train with and compete on the U.S. men’s rowing team when he isn’t supporting investigations out of the FBI’s New York Field Office.
In addition to winning several medals in rowing races around the globe, Read counts a gold medal from the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics among his accomplishments.
“The athletic passion on display at the games in Rio can be directly applied to the shared commitment of working for the FBI and keeping our country safe.”
Jason Read, FBI special agent and U.S. men’s rowing team member
U.S. Olympic athletes tour an exhibit prior to attending a career information session at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on October 1, 2016.
U.S. Olympic athletes tour an exhibit prior to attending a career information session at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on October 1, 2016.
Read shared his path from Olympian to special agent and described how he was able to translate his learned dedication and teamwork mantra to being a member of the FBI.
“It was an to honor host fellow Olympians at FBI Headquarters as they begin to research and consider new careers,” Read said. “The athletic passion on display at the games in Rio can be directly applied to the shared commitment of working for the FBI and keeping our country safe.”
Attendees at the recruiting event represented a cross-section of Olympic teams, including synchronized swimming, shooting, diving, soccer, and rowing. U.S. women’s national field hockey team member Kathleen Sharkey joined fellow teammates in touring Headquarters and taking part in the recruiting information session.
“It was interesting to hear about the FBI culture and all the job opportunities there were,” Sharkey said. “Coming from a team sport myself, I would thrive and enjoy working in this type of environment.”
Like many of her fellow Olympians, Sharkey is now back at home considering what her next steps are going to be now that the Summer Games are over. As the FBI continues to partner with organizations like the U.S. Olympic Committee on its recruiting initiatives, dedicated athletes across the country can find a new home working alongside a motivated team of public servants.