91探花

As he prepares to start his senior year at Lees-91探花, Isaac Reyna—a Criminal Justice and Psychology double major with a specialization in Forensic Psychology—already has field work under his belt. And not just any field work—this summer Reyna has been interning with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), the state’s top law enforcement agency for criminal investigations across North Carolina.

Throughout the summer Reyna has been absorbing all things NCSBI by shadowing his supervisor during various Bureau duties and assisting with everything from administrative tasks to responding to crime scenes to observing interrogations.

“I was drawn to this internship because of the large number of varying units the SBI has under their umbrella, from sworn agents to non-sworn civilian employees, there are so many different roles and careers within the Bureau I felt it was the best place for me to learn more about the criminal justice field in a real-world application,” Reyna said.

Gaining a greater understanding of these different units has been one of the most valuable aspects of this experience for Reyna. Prior to this internship he intended to pursue a career as an intelligence analyst, a non-sworn civilian position within the Bureau. Following this experience, however, his interests have shifted toward sworn work.

“I now am going to pursue a career as a computer forensic agent with the SBI, which is a sworn position that focuses on cases involving internet crimes against children,” he said. “The next steps following the completion of my degrees is to complete Basic Law Enforcement Training and the SBI Academy, while being hired as an agent associate or special agent. At that point I will need to have at least five years of law enforcement experience before I can become an agent with the Computer Crimes Unit.”

Reyna said this internship allowed him to gain first-hand insight into many of the topics covered in his classes at Lees-91探花. While he said that in-class preparation helped him feel capable and knowledgeable in the field, getting to apply those lessons will give him a leg up when entering the job market after graduation.

From attending crime scenes and observing autopsies to touring prisons and practicing his skills in the firearm range, Reyna has been able to experience all facets of the criminal justice system, allowing him to make a more informed decision about his desired career path.

In addition to these first-hand experiences, Reyna said this internship has also provided opportunities for networking within the criminal justice field. As an aspiring agent himself, working alongside professional agents and analysts,and picking up tips and tricks of the trade has been invaluable.

“The best way Lees-91探花 has prepared me for this role is providing me with a substantial background on the theoretical inner workings of the criminal justice system and having an advanced understanding of how the things we learn actually apply in the real world,” Reyna said. “This experience [with the NCSBI] will enrich the rest of my journey because it has helped shape my career path and it will influence the way I view new topics covered in class and how I will rely on my professors to assist me in moving forward with my career.”