DMV Korean-American Innovator Scholarship

Hi, my name is Jacinda Kim. I am half Korean from my father’s side and half Caucasian from my mother’s side. Growing up in the DMV area has provided me the opportunity to be much closer to my Korean family, most of whom are in Fairfax County. Growing up here has also been an amazing opportunity to learn how diverse our world is, something that not all communities in the United States are able to experience. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northern Virginia Community College in May 2023 with my A.S. in science. I am currently enrolled at George Mason University for Fall 2023, where I will earn my B.S. in forensic science, with a concentration in biology. I am passionate about forensics because of the difference I believe I will make one day. Forensic science plays a crucial role in our justice system, in proving both innocence and guilt. As much as the media loves an unsolved case, my biggest hope is to one day be a part of a system that eliminates the possibility for unsolved cases. I am not naive enough to believe crime will ever cease, but I want to be part of those able to bring perpetrators to justice and provide closure for victims and their families. I want to be able to reduce, if not eliminate, the number of those unjustly incarcerated while the true criminal remains free to hurt more people in our community. While the media also loves a serial killer, such as recently convicted Joseph James DeAngelo (also known as the Golden State Killer), I want this to change with the next generations. I want serial killers in general to be much less popular, due to being able to find these criminals before they can commit multiple crimes. And while forensic science will play a large role in this, educating the next generations to continue building forensic science as a field is also important. Continuing to expand forensic technology and methods, increasing the number of forensic scientists, and broadening the opportunities for the next generations to get involved in forensics all begin with education. George Mason University is one of the few universities that offer forensic science as a major. In fact, bold.org does not list forensic science as an option for me to select as my major. This needs to change, and I want to be part of that change. Once I graduate, I want to be able to help establish programs for future students to become more aware of the field of forensic science. I want to be able to create more internship opportunities to give students a chance to become more invested in forensics. I want the next generations to be just as passionate about making a difference through forensics as I am. Thank you for your time, and thank you for giving this opportunity to students like me.