PDDNI Dr. Stacey Dixon takes a question from an IC CAE scholar. Photo Courtesy of James Williams, ODNI Office of Strategic Communications
A group huddled around a long table to discuss whether the President should travel to a conflict zone amid rising national security concerns. After analyzing the latest intelligence and conferring with counterparts, they decided that the President could safely make the trip.
The situation -- a mock scenario. And the group wasn’t the President’s national security team, but instead college students taking part in a National Security Council (NSC) simulation as part of the 2024 Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) National Security Analysis and Intelligence Summer Seminar.
After the NSC simulation, the students heard from Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Dr. Stacey Dixon, who outlined challenges the scholars might face one day as intelligence professionals, especially as certain technologies become widely available across the globe.
“People who used to not be able to touch millions of people with their words can now do that through social media and other platforms,” said Dixon. “Voices that don’t belong to the government are loud.”
IC CAE scholars from across the country convene annually in Washington for the summer seminar. Dixon’s keynote was the culmination of this year’s event, which focused on “Unveiling the IC: Rising to the Challenges of Tomorrow.” As part of the IC Human Capital Office-hosted program, 147 students from 43 IC CAE affiliated colleges and universities visited intelligence agencies and met with senior leaders. The program awarded the scholars invaluable opportunities to network, and gain in-depth knowledge and counsel on careers in intelligence from our country’s most senior national security officials.
The week kicked off with a visit to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in McLean, VA, where scholars heard remarks from Deputy Director David Cohen, attended panel discussions with hiring division chiefs and mission center leadership, participated in additional simulation exercises, and visited the agency’s flagship museum.
Students also visited the National Security Agency (NSA) in Ft. Meade, MD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in downtown Washington for a series of expert briefings, museum tours, and networking sessions with senior leaders. The IC CAE scholars learned about each agency, career opportunities and how their core functions contribute to the larger intelligence mission.
“IC CAE Summer Seminar students gained valuable insight from visiting the FBI and learning about the numerous career opportunities the Bureau has to offer,” said FBI Deputy Assistant Director of IT Applications and Data Division Hads Holmgren. She shared that through discussions with FBI personnel including analysts, special agents and linguists, students were challenged to consider how their skillsets could apply to a career with the FBI.
NSA Executive Director Catherine Aucella also shared that choosing to work in national security can be uniquely rewarding.
“There are many career paths that these bright students have the option of taking, but a career in national security offers an unparalleled opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of the American people, in the protections of our armed forces, and in directly impacting the policies and strategic outlook of the United States and our Allies,” said Aucella. “NSA offers a unique and exciting environment to innovate, collaborate, and solve complex problems yielding truly impactful results.”
The IC CAE program, currently managed by IC Human Capital’s Emerging Talent Group, was established in 2005 to partner intelligence agencies with academic institutions to develop a corps of diverse, qualified intelligence professionals. ODNI awards grants to colleges and universities across the nation that prepare students for careers in national security, while also developing a pipeline for diverse talent into the IC.
“A diverse workforce is a prerequisite to our future success and fundamental to national security,” PDDNI Dixon shared. “The IC CAE program will continue to build a workforce that reflects the nation we serve, the world in which we operate, and the threats we will continue to face.”
“We hope that the students visiting NSA see how diverse our workforce is, and the importance of our mission to the security of our nation,” said Aucella. “The variety of opportunities at NSA is truly amazing, and it takes this diverse mix of skills and expertise to come together in helping us to do our part in protecting our nation.”
IC CAE scholar Asieh Ward, a senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, said she appreciated the diverse representation within the agencies she visited during the seminar.
“Seeing people who look like me in leadership positions was inspiring,” said Ward. “It reassured me that the intelligence community values diversity and inclusion. Visiting agencies like the CIA, NSA, and FBI solidified my desire to work in the field of law enforcement and intelligence.”
While the summer seminar took place in the Washington area, ODNI senior leadership have engaged with the IC CAE program at locations across the country, including in California and Florida. To learn more, visit the IC CAE website.