Secret Service Coming To UHart To Find Agents

WEST HARTFORD/HARTFORD/BLOOMFIELD, CT — The University of Hartford has hosted U.S. Presidents on multiple occassions, most recently last June.

And, now, a UHart graduate and U.S. Secret Service Agent is organizing a four-day hiring event at the campus next week to find men and women willing to give up their life to protect the president.

The event will take place at UHart, which is located in West Hartford/Hartford/Bloomfield, on Monday through Thursday, Feb. 26-29.

In the past, UHart has hosted President Barack Obama and, last June, U.S. President Joe Biden visited campus for a special forum on gun violence and to celebrate the passage in 2022 of the bipartisan anti-gun violence bill.

Kent McCarthy, a 1996 UHart graduate, is an assistant special agent in charge of administration and recruitment at the Secret Service’s New York Field Office. He is leading this event.

“We will do a portion of the hiring process right here on campus,” McCarthy said. “Typically, the testing and interview phase takes close to two months, but with this event, it’ll take about a week.”

The goal is to speed up the process for folks looking to serve in the U.S. Secret Service, whose main duty is to provide security for the president, past presidents and presidents' families.

The University of Hartford is partnering with the U.S. Secret Service via the Special Agent Talent and Achievement Recruitment Program, also known as the STAR Program, as well as the Secret Service Police Engagement and Recruitment Program, also known as the SPEAR Program.

Applicants will take part in the "Applicant Physical Abilities Fitness Test," the written examination, a professional interview, and a security interview — all within a few days.

UHart is one of a few locations in the tri-state region (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York) to offer these expedited hiring events.

“I’m thrilled that the University of Hartford is partnering with the United States Secret Service on this initiative,” said UHart criminal justice program director and associate professor Kelly McGeever.

“The program will streamline the application process for criminal justice majors and other qualified students interested in pursuing a rewarding career in federal law enforcement. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to helping students secure employment after graduation.”

For questions, e-mail career@hartford.edu or nyc.recruitment@usss.dhs.gov.

For more information on the Secret Service hiring program at UHart and to apply, click on this link.

From June 16, 2023: 'Biden To Gun Safety Activists At UHart Event: 'You Cannot Give Up'