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Minority & Small Business Week
October 3, 2018
Portland FBI Special Agent Yaqub Prowell represents one of the
skilled career officers who work out of the Portland’s FBI office. “In
the FBI we are working toward a more diverse and inclusive culture
to better reflect those we serve, he said.
Diversity Embraced
at Local FBI Office
Agent’s service is a second career
From bakers to bankers and
teachers to truck drivers, the FBI
is made up of people from every
potential background, and these
“unexpected agents” help to make
the Bureau both strong and suc-
cessful.
The FBI currently has about
13,000 Special Agents. Over its
110-year history, the agency has
been known for hiring accoun-
tants, lawyers, former cops, and
military veterans to fill those jobs.
The Bureau also knows, though,
that diversity in all ways at all
levels makes the agency a better
advocate for the people it serves:
you!
Portland FBI agent Yaqub
Prowell is one of those who didn’t
plan on joining the FBI. With an
undergrad degree in math and
physics and a master’s in educa-
tion, he started his professional life
as a middle school math teacher in
the Bronx, New York. During his
senior year in college he witnessed
first-hand the devastation of the
9/11 attacks. Those images haunt-
ed him during those early teaching
years and eventually drove him to
apply to the FBI in 2009.
“In the FBI we are working
toward a more diverse and inclu-
sive culture to better reflect those
we serve. I, myself, am half Black
and half Latino. We need to em-
brace different races, cultural
perspectives, religions, and life-
styles. We need to promote more
people of color and women. We
also need to better engage those
who have a variety of educational
backgrounds, life experiences and
skills.”
Special Agent Prowell current-
ly serves on the FBI’s Oregon
Cyber Crimes Task Force inves-
tigating cyber intrusions, ransom-
ware attacks, and fraudsters. Left
unchecked, these kinds of crimes
can force a store owner or service
provider out of business.
“I want to help protect these
people and these livelihoods.
Strong businesses mean good jobs
– and that leads to stability and
safety in our neighborhoods for
younger generations.”
If you are interested in learning
more about how you can serve
your community in new and ful-
filling ways, be sure to register
for the FBI’s “Unexpected Agent”
recruiting event in Portland on
Thursday, Nov. 29, from 6 -8 pm.
You must reserve your spot by
Nov. 15 by emailing portlandap-
plicants@FBI.gov. Those who
register will receive more infor-
mation about the location and pro-
gram.
To qualify as an FBI Special
Agent candidate, you must be a
U.S. citizen; between the ages of
23 and 36; have earned a bache-
lor’s degree or higher; and have
three years professional work ex-
perience.
For more information, check
out the FBI’s recruiting page at
FBIjobs.gov.