Allie Shea (’21): FBI Intelligence Analyst

“IWP gave me the foundation that I needed. I am very grateful for the education I got there – I loved grad school.”
– Allie Shea (’21)

Ever since high school, Allie knew that she wanted to be an intelligence analyst. Her IWP experience helped her prepare for her current role at the Department of Justice-Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where she applies her education in her day-to-day work.

Below, she shares about her passion for research, how her background in psychology was relevant to her IWP studies, and how she balanced working at the White House with pursuing her master’s degree.

Aspiring to Work in the Intelligence Community

When asked what sparked her interest in intelligence analysis, Allie said, “I have always been one of those people who enjoys doing research. I was a voracious reader, even from a young age. I also enjoyed writing.”

By high school, Allie had narrowed down her career plan: she would be an intelligence analyst. “It was the culmination of my skillsets,” she said. “I liked learning about various topics and reading open-source information. I have also always wanted to work for the U.S. Government.”

Allie was also intrigued by intelligence because it is not always straightforward. She noted, “You don’t always have all the information, so it’s a challenge to think about the information you do have and what it means.”

A Graduate Program in Intelligence

Allie discovered IWP while she was interning at the Executive Office of the President and also participating in a program with The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) and the Council of American Ambassadors.

Her program told her about an opportunity to attend an IWP open house. After attending, she said, “I fell in love with IWP.”

She did look at other intelligence programs in D.C., but she appreciated the specialization of IWP’s programs, the small size of the school, and the professional experience of the professors. “I felt like I would get so much more out of the classes,” she said. “It seemed like the professors were very open to working with the students.”

The IWP Experience

Allie feels that she received a good base knowledge of intelligence from her M.A. in Strategic Intelligence Studies program.

While she still had to learn a lot once she joined the Intelligence Community (IC), she was glad to start her work with an awareness of the various opportunities within the IC, the types of intelligence, and how government memos are written.

“I was used to writing research papers,” said Allie, who had majored in psychology at Miami University. “Government documents use a briefer format with the bottom line up front.”

Her psychology degree complemented her IWP studies in a few ways. At Miami University, Allie had done extensive research in cross-cultural competence. This research fostered an awareness and open-mindedness of other cultures – an awareness that is encouraged at IWP as vital to national security and international relations.

Thanks to her psychology degree, Allie also felt prepared for IWP’s core philosophy course. “Both are theoretical,” she said. “I really enjoyed that class at IWP.” She found that the concepts from the philosophy course were integrated across the rest of the program. For instance, the concept of bringing order to an environment was emphasized in various contexts.

Work at the White House while at IWP

Allie worked full-time with the Executive Office of the President while balancing part-time graduate studies at IWP.

It was a challenge to have a demanding job while completing an intensive graduate program, but, Allie said, “It was nice to have the classes so close to work. It took only a few Metro stops to get to school.”

Allie noted that many of her classmates were also in the middle of their own careers. “The part-time program at IWP allowed me to find a good balance with work and still graduate in a reasonable amount of time,” she reflected.

An Intelligence Community Career

While at IWP, Allie began applying to different agencies within the IC, working with IWP Career Director Derrick Dortch to improve her application materials.

Today, she works at the Department of Justice-Federal Bureau of Investigation in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“I enjoy being able to work in the IC and apply my degree in my day-to-day work,” she said. “A lot of people don’t get to do that right out of graduate school. IWP’s specific degree and focus allowed me to find where I wanted to work and what I wanted to focus on.”

Allie is glad she chose this field: “I’m passionate about national security and working to keep our country secure.”