Chartiers Valley Teen Headed To Quantico For Leadership Program
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, is a well-known training ground for Marines, but that's not all.
Quantico is also an intensive training center for the few who qualify for a career in the FBI.
One week each year, the FBI National Academy Associates hosts a week-long training event for selected high school students.
A Chartiers Valley sophomore is about to find out that she made the grade. Brittany Reinstadtler gets the word when she's called to the library, only to encounter family members, police officers, and FBI officials. She has earned the coveted ticket to Quantico.
Brittany will represent western Pennsylvania in the National Youth Leadership Program. Castle Shannon police Sergeant Gary Watkins nominated Brittany for her leadership qualities.
"Of course, academically, how well she did in school, I knew that she would be a great candidate," he says. "And, as a bonus, I know that the federal government is the choice she wants to go with in the future."
A total 48 students from different regions will learn some tough lessons in team building.
"You're in charge of a project," Brittany says, "and you delegate it to different people. You have to make sure that you can trust them, and that if you mess up, you should take the blame for that, even if you might not have been directly involved."
Birttany's mom and her husband managed to keep their daughter's selection a secret for two weeks.
"I have never lied to my children, and I have to say I lied to them for the first time in their lives," her mother, C. J. Reinstadtler, admits. "When she asked me if I heard anything, I had to say no, which is the hardest thing I've ever done."
From the smile on her daughter's face, we can assume that all is forgiven.
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