Intern stories
Madison Smith, FBI
What projects did you take part in during your internship?
I was an FBI Honors Intern on multiple counterterrorism squads in Michigan during the summers of 2022 and 2023 and the school year in between while I was a student at GVSU. In addition to many smaller projects, my large ones included data analysis and assisting in Operation UNITED- a project out of Detroit pertaining to the genetic identification of John and Jane Does. In the summer of 2024, I was an intern at the Laboratory Division in Quantico where I performed research on trace evidence collection techniques which doubled as my Master’s thesis project for Virginia Commonwealth University.
How did you get the internship?
I knew I wanted to work for the FBI’s lab so I was scrolling through their website when I came upon their information about their Honors Internship Program. I applied in my sophomore year, was denied, but applied again in my junior year and was accepted. The process took about a year all the way through and included the initial decision, interviews, a background check, and drug testing. The applications are now opening in the spring the year before the summer of interest and you can be an intern for as long as you are a college student (including a graduate student). Prior to applying the second time, I had my resume and cover letter prepared and polished because the application window is very short. It’s a long process, but well worth it!
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