WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — HBCU students in the Triad get an inside look at an agency that's typically untouchable.
A team with the Federal Bureau of Investigation spent the day on Winston Salem State Univerity's campus, not to crack down on crime but to take top-tier students behind the scenes of their operations.
Students from both WSSU and North Carolina A&T University got to take part in the rare experience. They learned about undercover operations, how evidence is collected, and heard real-life stories from special agents in the Charlotte bureau.
It's all a part of the FBI's joint collegiate academy where they partner with HBCUs to give black students exposure to careers with the FBI.
"It’s really a recruitment tool for us. The FBI is an organization that is diverse our jobs require us to provide services to those who are diverse," said Brian Cyprian a supervisory special agent. "So we're looking to colleges for individuals who may be a potential recruiting interest."
Part of the academy is about highlighting the importance of diversity in the FBI ranks. Winston-Salem State chancellor Elwood Robinson believes it’s going to take HBCUs to make this happen.
"When we talk about changing the face of America or the face of the FBI it has to happen with institutions like WSSU and North Carolina A & T where we go into these areas and we add some diversity," Robinson said.
Right now Charlotte's FBI team has 14,000 special agents and just 700 of them are black.
Special agent Cyprian said it's because people don't know about the many career options available.
"Think of any fortune 500 company we need people in marketing management, finance, accounting all of those roles primarily in our headquarters or in our field officers we have 56 field offices throughout the county," Cyprian said.
Sheena White said she was excited to see people like herself in high-ranking positions face to face. She is a senior at Winston-Salem State pursuing a degree in justice studies.
"I don't think of someone who looks like myself when I think of the FBI so I was very interested," White said. I'm really into data so how can I see myself doing that I would have never saw myself as an FBI agent but I could see myself doing crime data or mapping, so learning about all the opportunities outside of my own ignorance."
The bureau has what's called honors internships for students interested.
Being selected gives college undergrads who are juniors and seniors a pipeline to employment with the federal bureau of investigation after graduating.
The application cycle is closed for this year but it'll re-open next fall.