Baylor Senior Selected for Internship with FBI, Among Other Honors
by Paige Patton, communication specialist, (254) 710-3321
Baylor University senior James Nortey, a philosophy and political science major from Cedar Park, recently was selected for placement in the prestigious Federal Bureau of Investigation honors internship program. Nortey joins fellow Baylor student Christine Tamer as one of only 56 students selected from a nationwide pool of applicants.
Nortey will work at the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., in the Law Enforcement Coordination office, while Tamer will be employed with the Records Management Division in Virginia.
For the story about Tamer, please click here.
"I will be briefed in more detail about my internship soon; however, I know a portion of the internship allows me to trail some of the high-level executives at the FBI, as well as write articles for FBI publications," Nortey said.
He first learned of the FBI internship from William Keyes, president of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, a program in which Nortey participated last summer. Keyes spoke with the director of the FBI internship program, and Nortey's application was waived. After a background check, security interview and a polygraph test, he was granted the position.
Nortey has received several other significant accolades this year. He was one of three finalists for the Truman Scholar award, marking the first time Baylor has had three finalists in one year. Senior Kenneth Ike was a winner of the Truman Scholarship.
For the story about Ike, please click here.
"The [Truman] honor confirmed that I had been successful in both my academic efforts and community service thus far," Nortey said. "I intend to not just continue excelling, but also to challenge myself to inspire others to do the same, and I will try to seek excellence in every aspect of my life."
On April 28, Nortey learned he had been selected as a Henry L. Robinson Scholar at the annual Phi Beta Kappa spring banquet. The scholarship was established March 17, 1980, in memory of Dr. Henry L. Robinson, professor of French for 28 years at Baylor. Recipients are selected by members of Phi Beta Kappa. "I was quite surprised when I learned I was a Robinson Scholar," Nortey said. "It is an honor to receive a reward that bears this man's name."
The past year has been busy for Nortey, and he has high aspirations for the future. He plans to go to law school and pursue a joint degree in law and public policy with an emphasis on criminal justice. His dream is to clerk for a federal appellate judge in Texas or Washington, D.C., and eventually work for the Department of Justice or the FBI.
"Planning the next decade of my life [a requirement for the FBI internship and Truman award] is something that I never want to do again, but I am grateful for the experience because it allowed me the opportunity to consult with advisers in the fields of my interests, to emulate their successes and to avoid their setbacks," he said.
Nortey attended Coronado High School in El Paso, Texas. He currently serves as Chief Justice of Student Government's Student Court and is a Community Leader at Martin Residence Hall. He has a seat on the Student Development Council, Disciplinary Committee, Honors Council, and is a delegate on Baylor's Model United Nations team.