HELENA — The FBI held its first-ever citizen's academy in Montana at the Helena FBI resident agency office.
After two weeks and five sessions, 18 Montana residents from different parts of the state graduated the academy, all with different reasons for taking it in the first place.
One attendee said, "When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a spy."
"I was working as a teller in a bank in Missoula and I was robbed," was the reason for another attendee.
Participants learned hands-on alongside FBI special agents, dusting and lifting fingerprints and organizing evidence with case numbers, dates, locations, descriptions, and more.
"I was just a concerned citizen," said Christopher Facundo, a Citizens Academy attendee.
He has been a permanent resident of the U.S. since 1994 but became a citizen two years ago.
"For new citizens coming from different countries, I think this would be a good opportunity for them to understand how the rule of law really applies," Facundo said.
Like Facundo, Pastor Laurie Jungling from Great Falls attended the academy to further her civics education and kept her congregation in mind during the class.
Jungling said, "Often all we see is what's on TV and social media. Now, I have a better understanding that I can bring."
Dispelling myths about the FBI from what people see in movies and TV shows is one of the main goals of the Citizens Academy.
"There's a lot out there that makes us look glamorous, and the reality is that the men and women who work for the FBI are hardworking folks just like everybody else," said Shohini Sinha, the FBI special agent-in-charge of the Salt Lake City field office.
Citizens Academy attendees heard from roughly twenty FBI special agents and experts to learn about what they do, with departments including counterintelligence, art and violent crimes, the behavioral analysis unit, and financial scams.
However, the Citizens Academy is about more than just informing the public.
Sinha said, "We want to learn about what people are doing in the community and how we can work with each other to improve the community and really be meaningful contributors."
Possible dates and information about the next FBI Citizens Academy are still unknown, but Sinha says they hope to hold another one in Montana next year.
