UCF got some attention from national news last week, and finally for something positive. University of Central Florida graduate and Orlando native, Julia Pierson, was named the new director of the United States Secret Service. Knights, get ready to bask in the awesomeness of our campus celebrity!
Julia Pierson earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UCF in 1981 and worked at the Orlando Police Department until joining the Secret Service in 1983. She continually strived for more, worked hard and showed incredible dedication as she gradually rose in the ranks and rocked every division she worked in.
Eventually, Pierson was promoted to run the Presidential Protection Division and served on security details for presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. On September 11, 2001, she was on Presidential Protection Detail, which means she was responsible for the security of all presidents on that day.
Now, after 30 years of experience with the Secret Service, she was offered the job of a lifetime. In a great moment in history, President Barack Obama appointed Pierson as the head of Secret Service. She will be the first female in the department’s 148 year history to be named Director. Further proving that girls rule and not everything that comes out of Florida is a joke!
Unfortunately, Julia could not be reached for an interview. Which is understandable, considering she’s kind of in charge of some pretty important things. But, here are some tidbits I found about her that I think really exemplify her awesomeness.
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In this week’s addition of “Celebrities.. They’re just like us!” is a story of Pierson’s first Secret Service paycheck. Ironically, it was stolen by thieves. They had sent her an ATM card and password, which were intercepted by criminals in the mail. Her very first secret service paycheck was wiped out at the ATM. Happens to the best of us.
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Pierson’s first job was in high school at the happiest place on earth, Disney World. She started in the parking lot, then advanced to watercraft and ultimately got to be a character in “Americans on Parade.” She even looks at her time working at Disney as a great foundation of experience for working with large crowds.
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In a 2007 interview, she said: “You don’t have to be 6-feet-4-inches, 300 pounds and built like a linebacker. We encourage agents to let us know what they want to do. We want to know their areas of interest, and we try to match them up with those kinds of assignments. You constantly hear our employees talk about the mission. I think that goes to the Type-A personalities we attract, and the criticality of being able to multi-task and meet deadlines. We’re a small agency with a large mission.”
Congratulations, Julia! We are excited and so proud of our fellow Knight!