More than 60 Middle Tennessee State University students and student veterans learned about job and career opportunities and inner workings of the FBI recently during a meet-and-greet session on campus with agent and recruiter Trisha Brotan.

Brotan, who is with the FBI’s Memphis, Tennessee, Field Office but based in Nashville, shared information and showed videos showcasing the bureau’s many jobs.

The event, held in the Keathley University Center, was sponsored by the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, which hopes to make it a biannual event for both the fall and spring semesters. 

“It was a great turnout with a very interested audience,” Brotan said. “MTSU has always done such a great job with the event.

“I thought the questions from the students were very insightful, engaging and genuine. They demonstrated a lot of thought and curiosity.”

Kei Laribo, 21, of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, a senior sociology major who is minoring in writing and criminology and wants to be an attorney, said her “(FBI) interest is justice-driven. I never had an interest as a young girl to go into law enforcement. I’ve always wanted to be an attorney probably since about age 6.

“But I do feel the basis for a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation or a position as an attorney are the same in the sense that we care deeply about people and we care deeply about fairness in the United States and justice as well.” 

First-year information systems graduate student Randy Hazelton, also from Mt. Juliet, said he’s been “very interested in doing government work and exploring the different offices. I’ve had some experience with the (U.S.) State Department in my military career. But I was hoping to find out — and I did — more about the FBI.

“A lot of people are attracted to the mystique of the FBI, so it was nice for them to break that down. If anything, I think the greatest piece of information that she gave was that there’s FBIjobs.govHazelton, 34, served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2012-18, earning the rank of sergeant. He earned his bachelor’s in information systems at MTSU.

MTSU Police Sgt. Blake Durham, who sat in on the session, said the FBI “was always something I was always interested in, even in coming out of college and never looked into it further.” 

“When it became available today, I figured it would be a good opportunity to come and listen and find out some more information, and listen what an actual FBI agent has to say about it,” he said.

Hilary Miller, Daniels Center director, said the center was grateful for the bureau’s continued support.

“Our students enjoy hearing from them and, potentially, working with them. The skillsets of our students and service-mindedness of our students aligns well with the FBI, so it is a good fit for them,” she said.

Brotan said she was aware that at least one former MTSU student, who attended the February 2020 FBI session on campus, is working for the bureau.

She told students they have until Sept. 18 to apply for the FBI’s Honors Internship Program. They can learn more and apply at https://www.fbijobs.gov and clicking on the “Students and Interns” tab.

In addition to the students, about a dozen MTSU faculty and staff attended the nearly 1½-hour Sept. 8 event that included lunch for attendees.

Keith Huber, senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, welcomed the participants and introduced Brotan.

After Brotan’s talk and video presentations, plus a question-and-answer session, about 15 students who had been in class and unable to attend earlier showed up in time to visit with the FBI recruiter and obtain materials she brought for the occasion.