Taylor Beck ’17 was walking around a conference for the U.S. intelligence community when she bumped into CNN’s Jim Sciutto preparing a Facebook Live broadcast from the exhibit floor. She was attending the conference as the personal assistant for Keith Masback ’87, the CEO of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, who encouraged her to introduce herself.
Minutes later, she was behind the scenes, filming a broadcast to over 100,000 live viewers. No pressure.
“No one was there begging to hear my opinions as an undergraduate student, but I was still encouraged to speak up and connect with some of the most important people in the intelligence field,” Beck said. “It was a little overwhelming at first, but I was able to hold my own and network with some of the biggest names in the intelligence community.”
The week-long job shadowing experience came together rather quickly. Masback reached out to political science Prof. Shirley Anne Warshaw in need of an assistant, who’s first thought to fill the position was Beck.
“She emailed me, asking if I might be interested in attending this national symposium,” Beck said. “I emailed her back within minutes saying yes!”
Finding a mentor
Beck’s relationship with Warshaw dates back to her first days on campus. In fact, Beck enrolled in Warshaw’s First-Year Seminar on the Bush Administration and was inspired to declare a major in political science with Warshaw as her academic advisor.
“I found the whole idea of the constitutionality of the Bush presidency fascinating. I liked the idea of having a classroom debate,” Beck said. “It made me realize that this is a school that values free speech as long as you have the facts to back it up.”
After starting the course, Beck was impressed with how Warshaw conducted the class, from challenging students’ ideas to encouraging them to speak up.
“I’ll admit I was a little intimidated taking that class, but once I realized how much hard work pays off, it was one of my most rewarding courses,” Beck said. “It forces you to think outside of the box and make connections outside of class, which is what Gettysburg is all about.”
According to Warshaw, it was Beck’s hard work in the classroom that first stood out to her.
“In every course that Taylor has taken with me, and in every situation that I have worked with her, she has been a dominant presence,” Warshaw said. “She is smart, hardworking, and always goes the extra mile. She is deeply engaged across campus and I know can easily multi-task at the highest level. When Keith sought a recommendation for an assistant at the annual Geospatial intelligence conference, Taylor was the first person I thought of.”
Beck also applied to various programs offered by the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College, of which Warshaw is heavily involved. She was accepted into the Inside Politics program with Bush speechwriter Kasey Pipes and the Strategy and Leadership in Transformational Times program with international security and U.S./Russian relations expert Susan Eisenhower.
Outside of her love of politics, Beck began to explore other academic and social interests. She declared a minor in history, became involved in Student Senate, joined Alpha Delta Pi, and was on the student committee engaged in issues of political discourse on campus.
“The entire Gettysburg experience melts together,” Beck explained. “It taught me that it’s okay to try different things and to take an interest outside of your major, to make connections to other courses and experiences.”
Identifying a career direction
Taylor Beck ’17 with Keith Masback ’87 (l) and Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Robert Cardillo (r).
With this as her foundation, Beck accepted a week-long position with Masback at the largest gathering of intelligence professionals in the country.
“I had breakfast with the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, chatted with the Former Director of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Letitia Long, and worked a Facebook Live broadcast with CNN’s National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto,” Beck recalled. “I was keeping Keith’s schedule for the week because he is a very in-demand guy at his own symposium, but he made sure to introduce me to everyone we were meeting with, as well. It was amazing.”
According to Masback, Beck was the right student for the job.
“She handled it well, with flexibility and a great sense of humor,” Masback said. “She is now the most well known Gettysburg College student in the U.S. intelligence community.”
As she heads into her senior year at Gettysburg, this experience has had a big impact on her future plans, too.
“I went into that symposium not knowing much about the intelligence field and left realized that I wanted to go into national security law. It really showed me how important this field is and how it is shaping U.S. national security in the future,” Beck said.
She is now studying for the LSAT and looking into law schools in Washington, D.C. At the same time, she is also reflecting on the impact alums can have and is looking forward to being able to help a student the way that Masback helped her.
“Keith’s ability to give back to the school is the epitome of what Gettysburg does best,” Beck said. “With alumni help, Gettysburg is creating future leaders who want to build up the next generation. It’s a really special thing to do, and I really can’t wait until I am in the position to help other Gettysburg students.”
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