Georgia students get hands-on look at FBI careers during Teen Academy
What started as a day in the classroom quickly turned into a hands-on lesson for a group of Georgia students participating in the FBI's annual Teen Academy.
Students from across the state visited the FBI's Atlanta Field Office, where they learned about intelligence analysis, evidence collection and other careers within the bureau before being placed into mock investigative scenarios.
For Daniel Veal, a recent Arabia Mountain High School graduate, the experience revealed opportunities he hadn't previously considered.
"I'm very into media filming and I realized that the FBI offers that opportunity," Veal said.
Veal plans to attend Georgia State University this fall, where he will study criminal justice and film.
Greta Coarsey, a recent honors graduate from Tiff County High School, said a forensics class helped spark her interest in crime scene investigation.
"With the rise of AI, I thought maybe it's a good thing to move away from things that would make me replaceable," Coarsey said. "AI can't offer you comfort. AI can't offer you security."
Christian Foreman, an FBI community outreach specialist, said many students arrive believing the FBI is made up only of special agents. He said the academy helps expose students to the many other careers that support the bureau's mission.
For Veal, the experience also changed his perspective on the agency.
"Most people think the FBI is like twisted and like, you know, they're not good people," Veal said. "But as of today, what I saw, they're just trying to help."
As he prepares to begin college, Veal said the opportunity meant even more.
"I am incredibly grateful for this exposure, especially since I'm coming as a Black young man," he said. "Most people my skin tone don't get this type of opportunity."
The FBI hosts its Teen Academy each year, giving high school students from across Georgia a behind-the-scenes look at the bureau and the careers that support its work.
