Weinstein ’09 ’11 finds excitement, success with federal career

Stacey Weinstein ’09 ’11 on Jekyll Island in Georgia.

Federal employees who go through training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia, very well may take several of their classes with Stacey Weinstein ’09 ‘11, an instructor at the training center.

Weinstein in uniform at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia where she is an instructor.

Weinstein works in the Physical Techniques Division where she teaches basic students on arrest techniques, search incident to arrest, control tactics, ground defense, edged weapon defense, tactical medical training, and CPR. She is also responsible for keeping students current on physical fitness training.

The FLETC houses a range of programs from several agencies falling under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – firearms, tactics, driving, explosives – to name a few.

The DHS houses the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Coast Guard, and the United States Secret Service, among others.

She loves working out of the gym at FLETC and considers it to be very rewarding. “I am able to teach basic students skills that may one day save their or their partner’s life,” she said.

One of only four female instructors in the Physical Techniques Division at the Georgia training center (70 in all), Weinstein finds her work in the predominantly male environment to be very rewarding. She feels accepted amongst her peers and able to make the job her own.

The training center houses approximately 3,000 students at any given time and Weinstein’s first class graduated January 30, 2020.

Getting to Georgia

Having worked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) for seven years, Weinstein has had the opportunity to live all over the U.S. “The hiring process was long, almost two years, but it has paid off tenfold,” she said.

She was first stationed in Presidio, Texas where she became proficient in drug seizures and intended immigrant cases. Thousands of pounds of hard narcotics have been seized on her watch and she now knows most hiding spots a vehicle has to offer for smuggling. “I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to immigrants – legal and illegal – crossing the Southern Border,” Weinstein said.

Weinstein with a 40-pound salmon she caught while living in Ketchikan, Alaska.

After about three years on the Southern Border, she transferred to Ketchikan, Alaska for a change of pace. Stationed at a small Ketchikan seaport, she was able to focus more on training. She evolved in her career by conducting quarterly training for staff and ensured the Continuity of Operations Plan was effective and up to date at all times.

Outside of her duties with the USCBP, she spent a lot of time fishing for salmon and halibut and enjoying what the Alaskan scenery had to offer. ­

Weinstein admits field work is tiring – long days with little rest in between. And with the excitement that comes with discovering large amounts of drugs being smuggled in (and other exciting encounters), comes some pain. “Usually, someone’s family is murdered for large discoveries,” she said, “someone has to pay for the loss to the cartels.”

Ready for their next adventure, it was then time for Weinstein and her husband (and fellow USCBP employee) to return to Glynco, Georgia. They recently began a five-year term at the FLETC together as instructors, but hope to become permanent after that. Weinstein and her husband have built a house and are expecting their first child together in June.

Finding guidance and inspiration at SCSU

Weinstein’s career compass was a bit wavering when she came to St. Cloud State in 2005. She knew she wanted to study criminal justice, but didn’t know where she wanted to go with it – what career was right for her. The only one among her three siblings to attend college, she needed guidance and encouragement to find her direction.

In addition to her criminal justice professors being role models and giving her the encouragement she needed, she found career inspiration (and aspiration) with a senior thesis topic on the rise of Mexico’s drug cartels. This topic sparked her interest and was the initial stepping stone for her career with USCBP.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2009, she immediately went on to earn her master’s in criminal justice two years later.

Weinstein highly recommends students look at career opportunities on USAJobs.gov and was excited to share that, yes, FLETC does have an internship program. Her key advice: take the time to create a worthwhile resume. She has experienced for herself that once you get your foot in the door, the windows of opportunity vastly open up.

The federal government sends employees anywhere they are willing to go. Weinstein encourages moving up and out of your comfort zone. “A well-rounded individual is one who doesn’t settle,” she said.