William Heins, \u201927, fondly remembers watching spy thrillers with his family as a child. The over-the-top action movies offered more than just entertainment\u2014they left Heins with the desire to protect his country. Inspired by a family history of military service stretching back to the Revolutionary War, Heins has found his calling as an intelligence and security studies and criminal justice double major who is pursuing every opportunity to make his dream a reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tennessee native spent the spring semester in Washington, D.C., juggling two internships\u2014one with the U.S. Marshals Service, and one in the House of Representatives working for Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Heins, seeing intelligence in action was transformative. \u201cI\u2019ve observed court security procedures, learned about the protective intelligence process for federal judges, and had the opportunity to take part in carrying out security protocols,\u201d said Heins. \u201cI\u2019m learning how to practically implement everything that I\u2019ve learned in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heins, who aspires to a career in intelligence and national security, was fascinated by this inside look at the federal criminal justice system. \u201cNo matter how small a task you\u2019re doing, you know it counts towards something,\u201d said Heins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Serving in Congressman Ogles\u2019 office was equally rewarding for the rising junior. \u201cHe was my county mayor before he was my congressman,\u201d said Heins. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m at a home away from home.\u201d Heins gained experience in behind-the-scenes communications as well as the law-making side of the political process, doing everything from taking calls to interfacing with other congressional offices and helping draft bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot only am I learning how to implement these ideas that I\u2019ve learned about in class, but I\u2019m also learning how to communicate about them,\u201d said Heins. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible in the sense that it\u2019s real. The people I\u2019m talking to and working with are real, and the problems that I\u2019m solving are real. I\u2019m learning how to succeed, and I\u2019m learning how to recover from failure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heins\u2019 cadet career has taken him from the capital of the United States to the capital of Scotland, where he performed in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo as a member of the Regimental Band and Pipes\u2014showcasing not only his dedication to broadening his experiences but also his pride in representing The Citadel at home and abroad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
William Heins, \u201927, fondly remembers watching spy thrillers with his family as a child. The over-the-top action movies offered more than just entertainment\u2014they left Heins with the desire to protect his country. Inspired by a family history of military service stretching back to the Revolutionary War, Heins has found his calling as an intelligence and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":694,"featured_media":217,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other"],"yoast_head":"\n