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As Kyle Davis scanned the perimeter of a Los Angeles hotel, his eyes caught a familiar figure—Barack Obama—striding toward him. The former president’s hair had grayed and new creases lined his face, but Davis sensed the quiet satisfaction of a man fresh from completing two terms in the White House.

Davis is a U.S. Secret Service agent, a role that has positioned him to brush shoulders with and protect the most powerful political leaders of our time. From Paris and London to Namibia and Saudi Arabia, Davis has served as an agent in far-flung places, including as a post-stander in Singapore during summer 2018 when he secured the area ahead of President Trump’s historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“I’ve been around a lot of world leaders. I guess I should start making a list,” he laughs.

Before he became a Secret Service officer—and long before he found his footing at Rollins—Davis was charting a very different course: enlisting in the Marines straight out of high school. Even while serving, he found ways to keep his education moving at Seminole State College, though a 1½-year deployment to Afghanistan in 2010 put his studies on hold. When he returned stateside, he picked up where he left off, completing his associate’s degree before arriving at Rollins as a junior.

As a political science major and student-athlete, his years at Rollins were full of immersive experiences. He served as a senior senator in the Student Government Association (SGA), competed on the men’s rowing team, and engaged in international relations courses with political science professors Dan Chong and professor emeritus Richard Foglesong.

“History and political science lined up with everything I was interested in, so the liberal arts education at Rollins was perfect for me,” shares Davis.

Looking back, he is grateful for the discipline and athleticism he fostered while rowing crew and for the personalized attention from faculty.

“I always appreciated how small and dedicated the Rollins community was,” he says. “I loved the discussions where you just have 12 people talking with one another at a round table. You don’t realize how much that prepares you for life and how important it is to have those social skills when starting a conversation or navigating meaningful discussions.”

Shortly after graduating, Davis stumbled across the Secret Service job application, and after a rigorous year-long process packed with written exams, polygraphs, interviews, background checks, and medical exams, he got the call. His first two years in the detail were under the Trump administration, and the last four were spent under Biden.

Being a member of the president’s detail is one of the most selective assignments in an already coveted field of work. From mapping the complex route of a 40-car motorcade through urban landscapes like San Francisco to working a 14-hour day while juggling more challenging collaborations with local law enforcement, Davis draws on problem-solving, adaptability, and responsible leadership—skills he honed at Rollins.

“It really is an unprecedented time and heightened climate for the Secret Service with the political temperature around the world,” says Davis.

He also credits Rollins with sharpening his critical-thinking skills—essential to helping him separate personal opinion from professional duty. “I swore an oath to protect the office of the president and whoever is in that seat. I’m really good at staying as apolitical as I can,” he says.

Davis’ time at Rollins wasn’t just about hitting the books. He met his wife Nikki Davis ’15—then a critical media and cultural studies major and his next-door neighbor in off-campus housing—at Rollins and has maintained close friendships with TKE fraternity brothers and his old crew team. The couple has returned to visit campus many times since graduating, now with their daughter Blake—although he still jokes that he has “unfinished business” at Rollins even after more than 10 years, fixated on being only two classes shy of a history degree.

Davis is currently stationed at the U.S. consulate in Canada, where Secret Service officers serve as diplomats to help strengthen relations between the two countries. He plans to complete a total of 25 years in the Secret Service, with 15 more to go.

His advice for new graduates entering the job market? “Don’t be afraid to apply to jobs far out of your comfort zone, and always pause to reconnect with what’s most important to you—keeping your priorities in sight is the key to staying happy.”

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