SEE THE CHANGE

Melissa Cass

 

Age:   31      Height:   5'4"
Initial Weight:  176

 

About Melissa Cass
"I gained a lot of weight in law school. My physical shape might keep me from attaining my biggest goal: working in federal law enforcement."

After earning a law degree from South Texas College of Law and taking the Texas bar exam in February, my next step is to interview for the U.S. Marshals Service or FBI, if I can pass the fitness tests.

Melissa Cass

May 2008

My Story

While working for a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. in 2001 and 2002, I researched the way police departments respond to domestic violence. I learned that better attention could be paid to what witnesses and victims have to say and I think the best way to be a victim advocate is through criminal investigation. That’s why I want to work in federal law enforcement.

The problem is my terrible physical shape might keep me from attaining this goal. While earning a law degree from South Texas College of Law I worked 40 hours a week, had class 4 nights a week, and spent another 20 hours a week studying. I gained 35 pounds and stopped taking yoga classes because of time constraints. If I interviewed now for the U.S. Marshals Service or FBI, I would probably be screened out pretty fast because of fitness requirements. My plan is to work out regularly for a few months before I try for an interview.

Here’s what I need to accomplish:

FBI fitness test for women my age: Run 300-meter sprint in 67.4 to 65 seconds, run 1.5-miles in under 15 minutes, do 5-13 push-ups.

U.S. Marshals Service fitness test for women my age: Body fat percentage: minimum 23.1 percent, “excellent” is 13.5-18 percent.
Pushups: minimum 14, “excellent” is more than 22.
Situps: minimum 27, “excellent” 35-41.
1.5-mile run: minimum 15:26, “excellent” is 11:50 to 13:43.