Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Mixed Plate

Media Credit: Courtesy of the Dept. of Justice Two UH students interned for the FBI this summer during a 10-week program.

Everyone can remember the intrigue of the TV show "The X-Files." The fantasy of becoming either one of the lead characters, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Mulder and Scully, tracking slimy creatures that swamped toilets and stalking aliens who dressed like the Amish, sounded like a fun job.

Although the show's fictional basis can be misleading, the popularity of the government profession boosted nonetheless. Two students at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kara Kusunoki, a senior in finance and political science, and Taryn Meeks, a third-year law student with a focus on international law, were given an opportunity this past summer to experience being an agent.

Kusunoki and Meeks spent 10 weeks in the highly competitive FBI Honors Internship Program in Washington, D.C.

Kusunoki, interested in the issue of human trafficking, was appropriately assigned to the Crimes Against Children unit. Whereas Meeks was able to apply her knowledge of law in the Office of the General Counsel and Privacy and Civil Liberties units.

Unlike many college students who do not explore their chosen career until after graduation, both Kusunoki and Meeks gained insight into their possible professions with valuable work experience.

This, they said, will give them the edge that will set them apart to employers, who prefer graduates with both education and work experience.

"Although being an Honors intern does not guarantee employment after the program, there were a handful of interns who were offered jobs at the end of the summer," Meeks said.

While Meeks' tasks were highly confidential and could not be discussed, Kusunoki said that she was able to work on cases that involved children who were at risk for prostitution, cybercrime exploitation, online solicitation and trafficking.

While working with the young children was sometimes "emotionally taxing or frustrating," Kusunoki said she also found great satisfaction in her work.

The internship program offered a lot more than work experience, they said. Kusunoki and Meeks were paid to live in an area where they were able to listen to weekly jazz concerts in the Smithsonian Sculpture Garden or hear presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain deliver speeches at the Capitol.

When Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in July, Meeks was able to watch the highly publicized hearing as it unfolded.

"(It was) quite a thrill to watch Senators Leahy and Feinstein fire off difficult questions and then observe how the attorney general handled the issues," Meeks said.

Kusunoki and Meeks returned from the FBI Honors Internship Program with a better understanding of the organization's role in the country's safety and security.

Meeks left the summer with a strong belief in the FBI.

"People at the bureau work exhaustively to protect America within the legal parameters established by the Constitution," she said. "There is a deep desire to prevent more tragedy from occurring on our soil, but also to respect the rights and privileges of all American citizens."

Those interested in applying should contact Special Agent Kai Wong Jr. for the FBI Honors Internship Program at 566-4300

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