Mira Hennon '25  ~  January 2025

Nardin’s Federal, State, and Local Government wINTERMISSION was a big success this year! Composed of 12 seniors, and 2 teachers, Mr. McCarthy and Ms. Swanson, the group got to explore many aspects of government, from law enforcement to investigations to court proceedings. The experience was organized by Special Agent Mark Haggerty, a Nardin parent, who works for Homeland Security Investigations. By participating in this wINTERMISSION, students were able to open their minds to possible new career paths and goals.

On Monday, the group dressed professionally and traveled to the state court to watch some trials of local people in the area. Then they met with two Nardin alumnae, Meghan Leydecker ‘03 and Caitlin Higgins ‘04 at the US Attorney’s office to hear about what it was like working in their positions and the work that they do each day for others. 

On Tuesday, the girls went to the Coast Guard Station, meeting an experienced group of women who worked in all kinds of fields with the Coast Guard, including Search and Rescue and Port Security. Next, they went to the Peace Bridge to hear all about the customs process and how the people there work each day to protect the border that Buffalo shares with Canada and process what is coming over. The variety of roles and jobs within Customs was very interesting to learn about. 

Wednesday was an exciting adventure to the Erie County SWAT training location, getting opportunities to view a house raid stimulation, fire a training pistol and rifle, meet trained K-9 units, and take a ride in a SWAT armored vehicle. “It was so much fun,” said senior Audrey Beck. “I loved learning about house raids!” 

On Thursday the group arrived at the Buffalo Niagara Airport to get a full behind-the-scenes look at TSA and airport security. Students got to stand behind the monitors and watch the security process in real-time airport security traffic throughout the day. They learned about types of materials scanned, and how the airport deals with the evolving threats and attempts to illegally smuggle goods through airlines. They also got a tour of the facilities to scan checked luggage.

Friday closed out the week with a trip to Border Patrol in Grand Island, where students got to try out a simulator to decide when to fire a weapon. Then, they visited the Homeland Security Investigations office in downtown Buffalo. “I liked that all three of our presenters were women … everyone was more attentive and everyone was more open to asking questions,” said senior Lucy Lyons. “I liked hearing about all the different branches of Homeland Security because I thought it was all one thing.” Homeland Security does a variety of jobs to protect the people in the area, many of which include fighting to end sex trafficking, child pornography, and cybercrime. 

“I think that the students did a really good job of listening intently to the various presentations we heard and asking really thoughtful questions,” explained Nardin history teacher Brian McCarthy, who led the wINTERMISSION. “They were really impressed by this year’s group and the type of questions that Nardin students ask.” It was a successful week exploring the fields that are involved in keeping the City of Buffalo safe and working to end crime that goes on all over the world. Students were especially happy to learn about potential careers the seniors in the group may consider as they prepare to go to college soon.