Fifty-eight teenagers from around the world converged on the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. in June to experience something most law enforcement professionals only dream about: training where the nation’s top federal agents train and learning in their classrooms.
One of those lucky teenagers was 16-year-old Justin Cong of Gilroy. And he returned home a changed person, both in the way he carries himself and what he hopes to do in the future, according to family members.
In April, the junior at Monte Vista Christian in Watsonville received a call from a National Academy alumni who informed him he was chosen to take part in the Academy’s selected Youth Leadership Program.
At least one student between the ages of 14 and 16 from every state, and others from Australia, Belgium, Switzerland and Puerto Rico, were accepted this year after demonstrating academic achievement and good citizenship in their communities. Additionally, the application process required that the students write an essay on leadership, be nominated by an FBI National Academy graduate and undergo a rigorous interview process.
Cong serves as a member of the leadership council for his school’s football program and is a senior member in the Young Marines youth development program. His participation was sponsored by Gilroy Police Department Chief Denise Turner.
“It was a pretty awesome experience knowing that you’re walking along the halls where they train these new FBI and other federal agents to protect and uphold our laws,” Cong said. “It’s a great experience getting to walk along those same grounds that they do. The best part of the program was getting together and knowing all these 57 other great students who are like me; they want to make a difference and change the world.”
Cong was already considering pursuing a law enforcement career—it runs in the family. His stepfather is Joseph Deras, an acting captain with the GPD who most recently led the department’s Anti-Crime Team tasked with batting back gang activity and keeping tabs on the city’s most violent offenders. But attending the FBI program helped Cong focus his future plans.
“The program definitely spiked my interest,” he said. “I probably want to do something more leaning towards the federal level of law enforcement career now.”
During the nine-day program, Cong’s days began at 5:30 a.m. and included a rigorous schedule of activities on into the night, involving everything from physical training to attending classes taught by law enforcement professionals.
He practiced his aim with a handgun within the Academy’s massive indoor shooting range, toured Washington D.C. with the other participants and explored Hogan’s Alley—the bureau’s 10-acre tactical training facility.
There, agents practice investigative techniques, strategy and firearms handling. Actors play the parts of criminals, from bank robbers to drug dealers to terrorists, while others portray innocent bystanders. The facility is designed as a town, complete with a hotel and post office.
“It’s a pretty crazy place. It could work as a city,” Cong said. “It’s almost like a movie set, but the interiors of the buildings are all fully functional; there’s running water, there’s electricity.”
The FBI facility lies within an active military base and Cong said he was reminded of that fact a few times when artillery recoil shook the buildings or when fighter pilots kicked on the afterburners of their fighter jets.
On the second-to-last day of the program, the students were woken up to run a modified version of the course run by Academy students and law enforcement officers in training. It’s called the Yellow Brick Road.
Traversing the three-mile trail—the Academy’s version is nine miles long—involved scaling walls, hurdling over logs and negotiating steep hills. The experience, both mentally and physically challenging, enriched some of his newest friendships, Cong said.
“We were already very close, but just going through that final challenge together was a nice way to cap off and solidify the bonds and relationships we established,” he said, adding that he regularly communicates with some of his new friends.
On June 26, the last day of the program, Cong was awarded his own yellow brick to take home that was printed with the name of the program and the date he completed it.
“It not only symbolizes completing the Yellow Brick Road, but the camaraderie and the challenge that we were able to overcome by helping each other when the other person was down—just all the sweat, blood and tears we went through that week,” he said.
Though Cong said it’s hard to condense what he learned at the Academy, he shared one lesson that stuck with him; it came from one of his teachers, a retired Marine Corps veteran.
“He said ‘It’s OK sometimes to come in fifth place: God, country, family, friends and then yourself,’” Cong recalled. “That was a pretty profound statement I was able to take from there. [I also learned] that a leader is not just someone who is barking down orders; they actually care about the people under their charge.”
Cong sits and stands up straight, makes direct eye contact and speaks with a natural confidence—and comes off as humble, respectful and mature.
According to his family, the change in their son was visible when he returned to Gilroy.
“He’s more confident and I think he’s more patient with his younger brothers—we noticed that right away,” Justin’s mother, Faustina Deras said. “He’s more confident in how he speaks and how he stands and how he carries himself. He said it was a life-changing experience and that was probably his third day in. It’s nice to hear a 16-year-old say it’s OK to come in fifth place.”
Justin said he has a goal of attending Stanford University, the University of Southern California or the United States Naval Academy and wants to pursue a degree that will help him become a law enforcement officer, if he chooses that path.
“Justin is a lot smarter than I am or was at this age,” Joseph said. “Knowing that he was interested in this leadership is special to me because we have that kind of connection. He expressed an interest in it or at least to explore what I do and what this domestic law enforcement is about for our country. He came back with a very broad perspective of what this means.”
“He’s a good person, so I think something good came out of that,” Faustina added. “Whether or not he does decide to do something in law enforcement is up to him, but I think he’s going to branch out—and there’s a lot more open to him now.”
Looking back on his journey—also his first trip to the East Coast—Cong is grateful.
“This was a great opportunity that very few people get to experience,” he said. “I’m definitely very appreciative.”
