CIA, FBI, AND LOCAL AGENCIES CAME TO EDUCATE AND RECRUIT MASON STUDENTS
By Sabrina Acerra, Staff Writer
Students participated in events for Government Week from Monday, Sept. 18 to Friday, Sept. 22. The series of campus events were an opportunity for all students, regardless of their major, to engage with government agencies at the local and federal level and to learn about what is required to work there.
“Government Week was a great way to have insights into the fields that I want to pursue after college,” said freshman Donnelle Bodnarchuk, a Global Affairs major.
“I was really able to understand the whole process of security clearances and potential job opportunities in the intelligence field,” Bodnarchuk explained.
The most helpful feature for Bodnarchuk was how to make a federal resume because they differ from the typical resume a student may have learned to write.
Learning these tips “from someone who knows a lot about applying to a federal position really enabled me to feel more confident in applying for an internship later this year,” Bodnarchuk said.
The events offered potentially life-changing career choices. Events during this week included “Careers in Intelligence,” how to get a security clearance, advice on writing a federal resume, “Navigating USA Jobs,” government contracting, “Careers in Politics” and an open house organized by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
“On Friday they had the CIA open house where you get direct contact with them,” said freshman Cruz Sanchez, a Global Affairs major. “You get to meet people there, introduce yourself and put yourself out there. That is really good to attend, especially if you would like a job with them in the future.”
Students were also glad that Government Week offered local agencies a chance to come by and talk at Mason.
“They had opportunities to let you know about other careers, not just in the federal government, but also the local and state government,”said Sanchez. “You might not hear about all the local agencies that have a direct impact on the cities so that was really fun to learn about.”
Government Week was open to all Mason students. Not only did the events give students a chance to explore their future career options in a deeper manner, but it also helped them gain more knowledge in their chosen fields.
“Government Week allowed me to understand more about the field that I thought I already knew so much about; but this week prepared me for the things I didn’t think of, like the resume,” said Bodnarchuk. “It was a really cool and insightful week and I feel more knowledgeable and confident about the whole process.”
Government Week seemed to be a success for Mason students and some planned to attend the event again next year if it becomes an annual occurrence.
“I would attend next year since there were some programs that I couldn’t make this year,” said Bodnarchuk. “I also think that attending again next year would benefit me in the way that there may be new programs that would be more catered to a different aspect of government.”
Photos by Nicolas Macotto
