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Eta Lambda Sigma Offers Students Tips, Trips and Tours
The Wilder School’s chapter of Eta Lambda Sigma, the nation’s first professional homeland security and emergency management fraternity, has had a busy winter.
Fraternity members visited the FBI Academy in Quantico on Dec. 20. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Marlene Benson provided an informative tour for the group and afterward gave advice on how to apply for jobs, offered interview tips and talked about opportunities in federal law enforcement employment.
“ELS members certainly believed it was a privilege to learn about the FBI and to be able to take an ‘insiders’ tour of the facility,” said Maureen Moslow-Benway, the fraternity’s faculty sponsor and an instructor in the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program. “All in all, it was an amazing educational experience.”
Two days later on Dec. 22, 20 fraternity members ventured north to Washington, D.C. to visit the White House and several Smithsonian museums.
“It was a wonderful treat for members to get access into ‘the people's home,’ especially during the holiday season,” Moslow-Benway said. “Unfortunately, the Obamas were vacationing in Hawaii, so we didn't get an opportunity to meet them.”
Most recently, on Jan. 27, Eta Lambda Sigma hosted a banquet for members that featured seven First Responders, who spoke about how they got into their respective career fields and the highlights, challenges and life lessons they’ve learned along the way.
The speakers included Lt. David Daniels, Richmond Fire Deputy and Chief Safety Officer; Lt. Peter Svoboda, Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department; Sean Longnecker, VCU Police Officer; Sgt. Rachel Heinig, Criminal Investigations Division at Henrico County Police Department; Sean Powell, Emergency Preparedness Specialist at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; David Pulliam Jr., Richmond Fire Chief; and Lt. Tiffany Samuels, Richmond Emergency Services.
“This was an extremely successful banquet,” Moslow-Benway said. “Fraternity members enjoyed the opportunity to meet these local heroes.”
For more information about Eta Lambda Sigma, please contact Justin "JJ" Johnson or Kevin Keys.