Local JCHS Alumna Thanks Local First Responders for Preparing Her to Serve as USDA OSSP Intern

Hannah Gabbard, a JCHS Alumna (Class of 2020) has been working in an incredible position in Washington D.C. with the federal government. Hannah considers Annville, KY to be home and is the daughter of Stephen and Sharon Gabbard.

Ms. Gabbard has been working as an intern for the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Safety, Security, and Protection (USDA OSSP). The federal internship was presented by the Director of the Office of Safety, Security, and Protection at the College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science at Eastern Kentucky University. The internship was then posted through USA jobs for all to apply. I applied for the position and was called for an initial interview in May with several directors who are involved in OSSP. After the interview was conducted, I received another phone call stating I had a second interview with the main Director of OSSP and the Chief of Staff. I was offered the internship during this interview based on the experience that I gained with Jackson County Emergency Management.

During the initial interview, Hannah was selected as the top candidate by all directors. That, in and of itself, is quite an accomplishment since there were a lot of people who applied for this internship.

The duties involved in this internship are extensive. This internship is considered a pathway internship. This means that once I graduate college in May of 2024, I will have a permanent position with USDA OSSP in Washington D.C. This internship consisted of a month-long paid trip to the headquarters of USDA in Washington D.C., where I was on a rotation between divisions within OSSP. Each week I would work and shadow these different divisions to learn from them. The divisions are Safety, Training, and Emergency Management, the Executive Protection Operations Division, the Facility Protection Division, and the Security Services Division. One of the most unique duties I got to be a part of was with the Executive Protection Operations Division. During this week, I had the opportunity to travel to Portland Oregon with federal agents, where I was part of a security and protection team for a senior-level official within USDA. Now that I am back in Kentucky, I work remotely for USDA OSSP where I work with the different divisions.

When asked how growing up in Jackson County and going the to JCHS may have prepared her for the job she replied, "Growing up in Jackson County and going to JCHS helped me prepare for my new job by teaching me that I have to work for what I want to achieve in life. Coming from a work-oriented family, I learned at a young age that hard work and dedication opens the door to opportunity and accomplishment. I was also involved in many different student organizations at JCHS. This taught me the basics of how to be a leader and support others and that would not have been possible without the leaders of the school.

After Hannah graduated with the JCHS Class of 2020 her post-high school education goal at the time was to attend Eastern Kentucky University in the Homeland Security Program. This is what she is doing now. Hannah reported, "I am set to graduate in May of 2024 with a degree in Homeland Security, two minors in Disaster Management and Cybersecurity and Intelligence, and three certificates in Intelligence Studies, Emergency Medical Technician, and Security Operations and Management. I have not decided as of yet if I would like to continue to a master's degree."

When asked if she would you like to say anything to the youth in Jackson County about their home and their future she replied, "The youth in Jackson County should know that opportunity exists even though the community is small and it's a wise choice to gain experience while you are in high school. If someone is interested in first response or any protection-related field, I would recommend joining a volunteer fire department and making connections with the first responders in the community. Employers, especially in the federal government, are interested in the experience you have. All of the experience I had prior to working for USDA OSSP came from the work I conducted in Jackson County. Jackson County first responders strive to involve the youth and want them to be involved. I would also like the youth to know that I would be more than happy to discuss first response and other federal positions related to protection as well as help them make the first steps towards valuable experience."

When asked if there were people she wanted to thank or mention Hannah reported, "I would first like to thank my family for being by my side and encouraging me to make the hard decisions. I would also like to thank Jamie Strong and Brody Keck with Emergency Management for teaching and guiding me to be the leader I am today. Without their guidance, I would not have the experience I have today, and I would not have been able to work for USDA OSSP. Lastly, I would like to thank the first responders of the community for their services and the experience they provided me."