USC freshman to attend FBI Youth Leadership Program
May 30, 2023
An Upper St. Clair High School student has been selected for the FBI National Academy Associates Youth Leadership Program. Freshman Braidyn Recker will participate in a week-long training event from June 22-30, 2023, at the FBI Academy, located on the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va.
The Youth Leadership Program includes extensive classroom study, physical fitness, guest lectures and leadership experiences. The program focuses on issues facing today’s youth, including Fundamentals of Leadership; Fitness, Nutrition and Resiliency; Time Management; Values and Choices; Social Media & Internet Survival; Managing Change; Financial Literacy; and more.
Braidyn is an active member of Upper St. Clair High School’s Student Council. She competes on the Upper St. Clair High School girls’ soccer team and with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy. She is also involved with the National Alliance for Mental Illness and the Red Door Project,
Students must demonstrate high academic standards and good citizenship to be nominated for the Youth Leadership Program. The 62 students selected for the program represent more than 40 U.S. states and four international countries.
The Youth Leadership Program is hosted by the FBI National Academy Associates, Inc., an international alumni organization of senior law enforcement professionals who have graduated from the 10-week FBI National Program. Applicants must be rising high school sophomores or juniors between 14-16 years old. Interested students apply for the program through their local FBI National Academy Associates Chapter and participate in a competitive interview process at the Pittsburgh FBI Field Office. The application deadline for this year’s program was Feb. 3, 2023.
Upper St. Clair is represented by the program’s Western Pennsylvania Chapter. For more information about the FBI National Academy Associates Youth Leadership Program, contact John Phoennik, South Fayette Township’s chief of police, at jphoennik@sftwp.com.
