Six forensics class students attended the Quarterly Executive Luncheon held by the Industry Business Council, featuring “Inside the Mind of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Hostage Negotiator Chris Voss” at the Pacific Palms Resort on Sept. 11.
Chris Voss, a former FBI international hostage negotiator, discussed the importance of effective communication skills in high stake situations, providing students with real-world examples relating to his stories of criminal negotiation and offering tips from his experiences in the business world.
“Outside of the classroom, [my forensics students] can practice the communication skills they learned in a professional setting or in the future when they attend college,” forensics teacher Bryn Schultz said. “I already have some students that are in IB who have told me that they are already practicing and applying these types of conversations.”
Schultz used this event as an opportunity to expose her students to different careers in forensics, from lab scientists to lawyers, and to delve deeper into the process of solving criminal investigations.
“It was pretty interesting how he talked about not saying no to other people and to build a deeper connection with others, you need to think in other people’s perspective,” junior Leo Wu said. “In [forensics], I can apply what I learned when I am doing crime scene research and how to observe how others act during situations.”
The forensics class also had a chance to network with other students from different schools who share the same interests. Along with the guest speaker session highlighting Voss, students met business professionals from the area, such as the local sheriff’s department and City of Industry workers.
“I plan to use what I learned in conversations to improve my odds of getting what I want and to get my point across in a more fluent manner,” senior Weiwen Walker said. “This experience really enhanced my learning because I learned a couple of tips from a professional negotiator with a good history.”
