Fourteen years ago, when I was just fifteen, I made the bold decision to give up a regular teen life to join the CIA. Much like my decision to resign from the Central Intelligence Agency today, I carefully weighed my options. I gave up my chance at a normal high school experience to serve our great nation. Today, I step down from that post.
I hope my fellow Americans understand the gravity of this choice. As a teen, I juggled chores and homework with my responsibilities to the CIA. I received special training to learn to talk to girls — a skill that served me well, not only on the first mission where I befriended Dr. Albert Connors’ daughter, but also through my many subsequent missions. I became the CIA’s foremost flirting expert, having trained hundreds of recruits.
During my tenure, which has stretched over nearly half my life, I have served under both Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama. Both men treated our intelligence agencies with the respect that our hard work and perseverance demands. I cannot describe the pride I felt presenting President Bush with the information that Dr. Connors’ research was being used to aid ERIS led by Dr. Brinkman. That information helped shape future events and gave me the go ahead to use our rocket-powered snowboard technology and rescue Natalie Connors.
My decision to leave the CIA has nothing to do with politics. I simply cannot continue to serve a man who consistently eschews intelligence gathered by me and my fellow agents in favor of hunches and conspiracy theories. I have given my life to this agency and I’ve been grounded by my parents for staying out past curfew. I refuse to continue to put myself in the line of fire (or give up my cellphone privileges) for a man who slanders our agencies and ignores our important work.
The CIA will continue to hold a special place in my heart — I had my first kiss on a mission, I learned how to sneak out of my house, and I aced Algebra thanks to help from fellow agents — but until the Trump administration uses our intelligence to affect policy making, I formally resign.