Award-winning graduate’s internship creates a career path
- Rachel Robles
- Engagement
- Contributors: James Greco, Photos
5 – minute read
By the time he enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University, service to community was already ingrained in Thomas Hagin.
In 2018, he had achieved the highest rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts of America, where one of the 12 points of Scout Law is to volunteer to help others without expecting a reward.
At FGCU, that commitment inspired Hagin to go above and beyond the undergraduate service-learning requirement. He became the sole recipient of the Excellence in Civic Engagement Award in his December graduating class.
“For me, the Excellence in Civic Engagement Award is a culmination of my service not just during my time at FGCU but also in high school and Boy Scouts, which is over 1,500 hours,” said Hagin. “It’s a capstone, the end of a chapter in my life.”
FGCU is one of only two public universities to have a service-learning graduation requirement for all undergraduate students, according to the Office of Service-Learning & Civic Engagement. Service-learning is integrated into classes, student organizations, FGCU offices and all of campus culture. Most students are required to serve 80 hours, but to qualify for the Excellence in Civic Engagement Award the minimum is 400.
Hagin racked up 556 hours by the time he earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Many of those hours were earned through the 501st Legion, an active nonprofit partner of the Make-a-Wish Foundation that helps raise money to grant “Star Wars”-related wishes of children facing life-threatening illnesses. This allowed Hagin to visit several hospitalized children.
“We should all be so proud of Thomas,” said Justin Fitzgerald, director of community engagement. “It’s this experience that helps our graduates stand out.”
Connecting interests
Hagin’s interest in serving the community and in technology led to an internship with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s innovation and technology unit.
“(Innovation and technology) was the best unit for an intern because in IT you assist everyone — deputies on patrol, investigative units, SWAT, narcotics,” said Hagin. “You also serve all ranks. This was an opportunity to learn about the agency, not just IT — an advantage no other intern had.”
When he completed his internship last spring, Hagin was offered a full-time job. He’s now a drone operator in the electronic surveillance unit of special investigations and operations.
“My job is the closest you can get to being a deputy without being one,” he said. “I have a patrol vehicle, a Kevlar vest and agency devices. My job is to drive around the county and go wherever drone support is needed.”
Most calls involve missing people, he said, which can include a criminal on the run or someone suffering dementia who wandered off.
“We are trained to follow FAA regulations, agency policies and drone law,” Hagin said. “The drones I work with are very advanced. From about 400 feet in the air, I can read a vehicle’s license plate in motion.”
Hagin also runs educational demonstrations of “Robbie,” the agency’s robotic dog. Outfitted with multiple cameras, the cutting-edge mechanical canine can precede deputies in potentially dangerous scenarios to scope out the scene.
A busy undergraduate
Before he joined the agency full time, Hagin kept busy on campus in many ways. He worked for a year as an electrical maintenance assistant in North Lake Village. Prior to that, he served as a resident assistant in Osprey Hall and Everglades Hall.
“People become RAs for different reasons,” he said. “For me, it was all about residents. Serving my residents was an absolute pleasure, and I know they went off to do great things. My main goal was to be there for them, answer questions or be a shoulder to cry on.”
Hagin chose FGCU because of its smaller class sizes and focus on conservation. He also liked the fact that the campus, surrounded by nature, reminded him of the environments he experienced camping during his Boy Scout days. He was also active in Scuba Club at FGCU, having earned certification over a decade ago in Scouting.
“I love scuba diving because it is therapeutic for me,” said Hagin. “Scuba is a way for me to disconnect for an hour — no talking, no social media. Just me in the ocean exploring a completely different world. It’s fascinating and relaxing.”