Chad Creasey, Alumnus of "Campaign '96: In Pursuit of the Presidency" seminar, spoke to the Science, Technology and Society program about how his academic seminar experience transformed him personally and professionally.
When Mr. Creasey was an undergraduate at Illinois College, he had no idea what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. It was when he travelled to Washington, D.C. for his seminar experience in 1996 that he introduced himself to Wilson "Bill" Livingood, a 33-year veteran of the United States Secret Service and Sergeant of Arms of the United States House of Representatives, who was one of the high-ranking speakers during TWC's various programming sessions.
It was through this unique networking opportunity that Mr. Creasey received his first internship. Little did either of them know, Mr. Livingood would go on to become a father figure and mentor for Mr. Creasey in D.C., nicknaming him his "adopted son."
Through his internship, Mr. Creasey was able to gain experience at events like:
• The Republican National Convention
• The Democratic National Convention
• The State of the Union
• K-9 Unit
• Bomb Squad
• S.W.A.T. Team
He was hired right to the Capital Police at the age of 22, directly after graduating from Illinois College. Mr. Creasey refers to his first position as "one of the highlights of my professional career." He would later be hired by the FBI after the attacks of September 11, 2001 due to his unique resume, training and experience. He chose to work with the FBI because "of the diversity of tasks within the agency."
This year, Mr. Creasey was awarded the 2012 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Director's Annual Award for Excellence, in the category of "Distinguished Service to the Law Enforcement Community." TWC could not be happier for Mr. Creasey and his wonderful achievement.
If you have an inspiring story and would like to speak to students about your experience, please contact the Alumni Office at alumni@twc.edu.
