Former Special Agent
Key Takeaways
Life has come full circle for Grace. Everything she experienced growing up in perilous gang territory prepared her for her career later as a federal agent.
Grace set her heart on a profession to help her fight the forces that consumed her childhood.
Think the life of an agent is an adventurous all-guns blazing game of cat and mouse? Grace shares with us the intellectual side of the profession in addition to the physical aspects of the job.
Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined a career in law enforcement because immorality knew no bounds where she came from. Grace grew up in the ganglands of Stockton. She goes into detail about some things she did growing up to survive. Her elder brother became a gang member when he was eleven. Her father was an alcoholic. She raised herself while fending for three siblings. Living in a dysfunctional home and society, Grace felt a calling to go into a profession to better our communities. She wanted to become a force for good so she made up her mind to become a federal agent.
It was 2010. Amidst the housing crash, opportunities in law enforcement were scarce. But
Grace’s resolve to be part of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice
was unwavering, even if it meant competing with thirty-thousand applicants. She ended up clinching the spot.
In this conversation with Horizon Search, she delves into the experience of an Asian woman in law enforcement, on her goals to continue serving the community and generating self-love through accomplishments both large and small.
Life as a Federal Agent
"This isn’t a job where you go in, click a few keys and call it a day at the office.” — Grace Nguyen
She says being a federal agent is a physically and mentally taxing job. “This isn’t a job where you go in, click a few keys and call it a day at the office,” she declares. Among the many activities they are involved in, agents participate in rigorous fieldwork and conduct undercover operations, search and arrest warrants in addition to dealing with dangerous prisoners.
It demands physical prowess and mental tenacity at every step of the way. So crucial is time management in the life of an agent, this skill goes a long way in saving lives. Grace tells us how intellectually laborious the profession can get–delivering precise and factual information for written records, diving into intercepted communications, analyzing evidence, and recognising patterns.
On Exiting the Forces
Although a rewarding career, Grace says she 'worked her life away' as a federal agent. "Part of living a good life is knowing when to quit," says Nguyen. Eventually, people have to make a personal choice to pursue excellence or prioritise family. Grace has met many who are at the top of their game professionally but their personal lives are a mess. "It's about where you put your time and effort the most," Grace reflects. Nguyen talks about the importance of conducting 'personal audits.' Like performance reviews at work, a person's friendships or romantic relationships need assurance of love, belonging, and comfort.
AI and Crime
Grace may no longer be a federal agent but insists on making the world safer by getting involved in anti-human trafficking initiatives. She talks about the downsides of AI in perpetuating trafficking. AI-powered tools can create convincing impersonations of people through voice synthesis and text generation. In the future, the technology will likely mainstream photorealistic animated AI-powered avatars.
On Generating Self-Worth If You’re Wired to Think Negatively
Accomplishing small goals through the madness, that's the key. For Grace, it started with setting small goals for herself and achieving those goals. Then setting bigger goals and achieving those goals. In doing this for herself, she built confidence and reinforced her self-belief and sense of self-worth. Life came full circle for Grace. Everything she experienced growing up in perilous gang territory prepared her for her career later as a federal agent.