‘Absolutely Fearless’: Student-Athlete Gets Assist From Unexpected Source

Campus officer helps launch dream career path

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

You never know when your big career opportunity might arrive. For Caitlin Blackman ’25, it unfolded last summer, thanks to a big assist from an unexpected source.

Blackman, who aims for a career in federal law enforcement, completed a career-shaping internship at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). She’d learned about that plum opportunity from Scott Dimmick—a public-safety officer at Dickinson with an impressive professional path.

High-profile career

Dimmick entered a local police force at age 22, eager to make a positive difference in the lives of crime victims and their families. A desire for greater challenges led him to state narcotics investigation. While running a state office, he worked closely with DEA agents, and in time, he became one himself.

The following years were packed with high-profile encounters. Working in America as a case agent, Dimmick contributed to the indictment and arrest of Frank Cotroni, the organized crime head depicted in the movie Goodfellas. Minutes after Dimmick and his family arrived in Bolivia, Gary Suarez-Levy, son of the cocaine-ring kingpin represented in the movie Scarface, caused ripples of anxiety when he inquired about the new DEA agent in town. Later, Dimmick served overseas in the same unit as future U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Dimmick also was a counselor at Quantico, worked as a military consultant in Kabul and investigated criminal cases for members of Congress.

Seeking a quieter job in retirement, Dimmick thought back to the fun he’d had during Dickinson football games, back when his brother-in-law, Ben Miller, was an assistant coach at the college. He joined the college’s DPS team in 2021.

Three years back, Dickinson rolled out an initiative pairing DPS officers with student teams and groups, a part of a larger effort to increase rapport, communication and trust between campus officers and the student body. Along with Safety Officer Rob Stone, Dimmick became a DPS liaison to the women’s basketball team. They applauded the players from the sidelines and got to know them a bit off the court as well.

‘Absolutely fearless’

Blackman is a double major in law & policy and political science with a minor in Arabic who’s pursuing a security-studies certificate. Sbe's also co-captain of the women’s basketball team, and her tenacity, leadership and camaraderie on the court made an impression on the DPS officers. When Dimmick learned about her career aspirations and her minor in Arabic—in combination with her academic honors and comportment on the court—he didn’t hesitate to reach out.

“I knew that Caitlin is smart, she’s hard-working, she’s a leader who’s supportive of her teammates, and she’s absolutely fearless,” says Dimmick, who knows something about bravery on the job. “I told her, ‘If you really want to do this work, and if you do your job the way that you play, you’ll make a great agent.”

Dimmick contacted some professional contacts about internship opportunities. This included the special agent in charge of the DEA Training Academy—his former boss and a good friend, who had a potential opening. Blackman applied for the fall internship and was accepted.

Hands-on experience

Throughout the summer, Blackman divided her time between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s state capitol, and Quantico, Virginia, where the DEA’s Office of Training is based. She shadowed staff, observed tactical training sessions, briefed reports and contributed to documentation.

“The internship provided valuable insight into the daily operations and training methods of law-enforcement agents, provided hands-on experience in my desired career field and allowed me to build meaningful connections with DEA employees,” reports Blackman, who even met with the academy’s director. “It solidified my aspiration to pursue a career in law enforcement after graduation.”

“She made the most of the opportunity, and they loved her,” Dimmick says with pride.

Now, Blackman is back in class and on the court, and Dimmick and Stone are back in the stands, rooting for her and her teammates. Blackman is grateful for it all. “Officer Dimmick’s support has been incredibly impactful,” she says. “Both he and Officer Stone have shown unwavering support not only to me but also to my teammates on the basketball team.”

Dimmick welcomes the chance to help.

“Students like Caitlin have everything ahead of them—they have energy and optimism, and they’re brilliant. They’re team players—they care about something bigger than themselves. They’re unstoppable,” he says. “I can’t wait to see where they go next.”

TAKE THE NEXT STEPS

Published February 7, 2025

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