Theresa Cheracles

I was born in Woodhaven, New York in 1975.  Woodhaven is located in the borough of Queens and is bordered by Brooklyn.  New York is known to be a melting pot of race, ethnicity and culture but the city was still segregated in the 1970's and 1980's.  There was racial tension and obvious disparity between social classes.  Like many inner city kids, I witnessed bullying, gang violence and crimes against society and I began to develop a passion for justice, law and order. 

 

At the age of fourteen, I was the victim of a violent attack on a subway platform in Brooklyn, New York, which left me with life threatening injuries.  The traumatic experience made me develop an appreciation for justice and for law enforcement.  I also learned something about my own strength and tenacity - While I was defeated in the attack, I fought my attacker until ultimately my injuries caused me to lose consciousness.  Following the incident, I considered pursuing a career in criminal justice.  

 

I attended Franklin K. Lane High School in Brooklyn, New York and participated in their legal program and their college-bound program.  During my junior and senior years, I worked as an intern in the Queens County Supreme Court, in Jamaica, Queens.  I graduated High School in 1993 with fifteen college credits which I transferred to Queens College (CUNY). 

 

I attended Queens College in Flushing, Queens, from 1993 thru 1996 and majored in political science and pre-law with emphasis on civil rights, dogma, faction, terrorism and social injustice.  I received a Bachelor's Degree in 1996. 

 

After graduation, I worked for one year as a paralegal for a Manhattan law firm but left promptly when invited to travel abroad for the summer.  I submitted an application to the FBI but did not meet their minimum eligibility requirements as I did not have enough full-time work experience.  I planned on reapplying in the future.

 

When I returned from my travels abroad, I accepted a job offer from the US Postal Service and I have been employed by the agency for twenty-two years.  I have worked in management for twenty of those years and have been working as a hiring official for the agency for the past thirteen years.

 

I relocated to Virginia Beach in 2001 and married in 2006.  I applied for local law enforcement jobs but ultimately was not willing to accept the starting salaries that were being offered.  I waited until 2010 to reapply to the FBI.  I also applied for the Postal Inspector job around the same time.  I was eventually tested by each agency and passed each exam and interview, including the  Postal Inspector Assessment Center in Potomac, MD and the FBI Phase II written exam and panel interview in Washington, D.C.  I was very interested in the prospect of joining the FBI but when they contacted me to schedule the physical fitness test, I had to decline because I was five months pregnant.  The FBI gave me a written conditional job offer and invited me to contact them after my baby was born and to resume the hiring process.  My son was born by caesarean section and my full recovery took several months due to complications.  Soon after, I found out that I was pregnant with my second child, who was born also by caesarean section, one month before my thirty-seventh birthday.  I had reached the age cut-off for all federal law enforcement jobs.   But, I found my true calling - to be a mom to two amazing little boys while I juggle a rewarding career which allows me to stay very close to home and family!