望远镜背后

Kim Sayles ’02 provides protection for some of the most important people in the world.

You see, Sayles is a member of the United States Secret Service Special Operations Division. 具体地说, 她是反狙击队的关键成员, which provides long-range observation and real-time information gathering at exterior sites visited by Secret Service protectees. The officers are all highly trained, precision marksmen and are known as Counter Sniper Technicians.

One of the protectees is the president of the United States. 白宫是塞尔斯的任务地点之一.

“Working for the Secret Service has allowed me to visit many different places and countries around the globe,塞尔斯说. “I have been fortunate enough to accompany former and current presidents to over 40 countries.”

Sayles was hired by the Secret Service in May 2003 and was assigned to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center at Artesia, 新墨西哥. She then received advanced training at the Secret Service Academy in Laurel, Maryland. In 2010, Sayles earned the distinction of being the first female Counter Sniper.

“The fall of my senior year at 赌博娱乐平台网址大全, 9/11 happened,” Sayles explains. “作为一个 政治科学 主修专业，我一直想在公共服务方面做点什么. 当时, 我在考虑将来可能做教练, 但911事件真的改变了我的想法. 它影响了我去申请特勤局.”

Kim Sayles '02 is a member of the United States Secret Service Special Operations Division and earned the distinction of being the first female Counter Sniper.

Sayles was a two-sport athlete at 赌博娱乐平台网址大全 from 1999 to 2002 in basketball and softball. She was a point guard for Tiger women’s basketball and earned All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Honorable Mention accolades from 2000 to 2002. Sayles was particularly known for her three-point shooting and dishing out assists to her teammates.

“Kim Sayles assisted in laying the foundation for the successful 赌博娱乐平台网址大全 women’s basketball teams you see today,她的教练说。, 贝基盖尔, who guided the 2003 squad to the NCAA Division III Championship. “Kim played with grit, determination, and a no-quit attitude. 这些品质一直延续到她的事业中. 我为她的成长感到骄傲.”

In softball, Sayles was elected to the All-SCAC Honorable Mention Team in 1999 as an infielder. Sayles was selected for the 2002 SCAC All-Tournament Team as a designated player, 她在哪里打了四个双打.

Kim Sayles ’02 (number 12 in the front row in the team photo) played basketball and softball at 赌博娱乐平台网址大全.

With a coaching future on her mind, Sayles was encouraged by Geyer to work camps during the summer. 接受她的建议, Sayles worked at a camp run by University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, who has led the University of Connecticut to 11 NCAA Division I Championships.

Thanks to the work and mentorship Sayles garnered in working camps like UCONN, 她毕业后几乎立刻就被录用了. Sayles worked as the administrative assistant to the University of Kansas women’s basketball program, 2002年7月至2003年5月担任该职位. 后来，她收到了特勤局的工作邀请.

Sayles credits her experiences at 赌博娱乐平台网址大全 as being invaluable in her career.

“There are limitless lessons I’ve applied since my athletic career ended,” Sayles reflects. “其中一个重要的教训是，失败并不是致命的. I think that’s hard when you are young because of all the various influences in your life. 最终, the reward and the education come with the struggle and perseverance to keep going, 不断尝试，直到成功.”

In addition to Geyer, Sayles cited 政治科学 professor 约翰·赫尔曼博士.D., with whom she took constitutional law classes; along with former 赌博娱乐平台网址大全 Public Relations Director Sharon Jones Schweitzer as influential during her time at 赌博娱乐平台网址大全. 

Sayles summarized why she believes she has been successful in her career.

“Being the ‘first’ to do anything is not without significant challenges,塞尔斯说. “‘每天露面’这句话曾经是我的建议, but I have since borrowed from former Oklahoma coach and Hall of Famer Sherri Coale: ‘continual acts of sincerity,一遍又一遍. 做正确的事, doing what you say you are going to do over and over again until you build that belief in what you stand for.”