I have read many books in my life, some are well known like Trenton Lee Stewart's "The Mysterious Benedict Society", Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time", Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird", Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", and Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" to name a few. I have also read some lesser known books such as Kaitlin Ward's "Where She Fell" Charles Tabb's "Floating Twigs", and currently reading Carrie Cotten's "The Huntress" series. While seemingly these books have nothing to do with each other, there has always been a strong sense of friends, family, and community in these stories. "The Mysterious Benedict Society" brought four misfit children who didn't have anyone and made them a family. "A Wrinkle in Time" explores close family bonds between Meg, Charles Wallace, and their father on the other side of the universe, and how we can't do everything ourselves. "To Kill a Mockingbird" exposing how African Americans were being treated in their time, and how the White community looked down on them all because of the color of their skin, and how we shouldn't separate our community based off the color of our skin. "Pride and Prejudice" is a romance, and explores how complicated society tries to make relationships, but Darcy's and Elizabeth's relationship was all about how we shouldn't care what society thinks of our relationships. Then everything Scrooge went through during "A Christmas Carol" is all because of how poorly he treated others, and he learned to treat people better than he was. When it comes to the more modern pieces, the pattern seems to continue. Eliza finds herself in a strange world when she falls into a sinkhole in "Where She Fell", and makes friends with the two warring communities underground. The only reason they're able to survive though is by relying off of each other, and that message is even stronger when Eliza tries to make a daring escape with her friends. Then there are Jack and Bones from "Floating Twigs", Jack lives with his alcoholic parents who do not care about him. But after rescuing his dog, Bones, and taking care of him by finding jobs around town, Jack ends up making friends with multiple people who end up becoming his family all because of Bones. Jack goes from having no one caring about him, to having three adults who wound give an arm and a leg just for him to be happy. Then there is "The Huntress" series. Cyrene, queen of the Picts, is fiercely protective of her people after nearly being whipped out by the previous king of Tráigh because of his greed. Cyrene agrees for an alliance with Duncan, the new king of Tráigh, when invaders threaten both of their people. The Picts only survive because of how hard they are all willing to fight for each other, and Cyrene's and Duncan's alliance is by marriage. All of these stories have taught me the importance of community and supporting one another. While I do not intend to go on daring quests or be visited by spirits, I will work to support others as a forensic scientist. I do not want to be a main character, but instead the side or background character that many might forget exists but still important to the plot. I want to support victims of crimes such as sexual assault, human trafficking, and abuse. In nearly every story I have named, the main characters are willing to give the world to the people they care about, and I want to give everything I can to the people who need it.

As the daughter of a police officer, I have always had a strong sense of justice. My dad used to work with cold cases and has worked closely with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Because of my dad's close relationships with not only some of the forensic scientists, but also the director, I was able to tour the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. I have always had a strong interest in genetics in my free time, and found myself watching true crime shows such as "Forensic Files" and "I (Almost) Got Away With It". I was enamored by the idea of helping others from a young age, and because of the forensics I got to see on television and what I was able to see at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and I decided to become a forensic scientist. As a forensic scientist, I will contribute to public safety through science. Specifically, I want to work in the Biology Laboratory which runs sexual assault kits, blood stains, bodily fluids and other potential evidence that can identify a suspect. Human cells have forty-six chromosomes, or twenty-three pairs of chromosomes, and those forty-six chromosomes can help forensic scientists tell who could be a potential suspect or clear an innocent person's name. Some chromosomes, such as the X and Y chromosomes, can tell a suspect's gender, which can narrow down suspects in many cases. Others can be used to determine a phenotype, such as the color of their hair, the color of their eyes, the shape of their chin, the shape of their hairline, and the color of their skin. I will not only contribute to public safety as a forensic scientist, but also to the field of science. As a forensic scientist, I will be working in genetics nearly daily and can contribute to decoding more of our genetic structure. Our genetic structure can not only be used to help determine who a suspect is or may look like, but can also determine our health. Many people have discussed how genetics may play a role in cancer, but it is hard to fully understand until we have a strong understanding of our genetic structure. We may know how many chromosomes we have, but we don't fully understand every gene that leads to different health risks. One of those is food allergies. While we do know that it has to do with the immune system. we don't know what chromosome the genes are or what the mutations are. As someone whose family has common food allergies, this is something I have found myself wondering and I am certainly not the only person.

I've chosen to pursue a degree in Biochemistry, so that I can work in a variety of fields, but mainly so I can work in forensics. My dad is a police officer, and over the years has worked in many different departments within our local city. Today he works in the Internet Crimes Against Children department, but before his transfer to ICAC, he worked in with cold cases. He's worked extremely closely with our state's bureau of investigation, who run evidence from all scenes in our state. It was last summer when I started to really think about what I wanted to spend my life doing, and I already had a love for genetics. Because of my dad, I was able to tour the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation last summer, and decided I wanted to work as a forensic scientist. A degree in Biochemistry will most prepare me to work as a forensic scientist, because biochemistry is the chemistry of life which I will need to examine DNA evidence, such as blood, hair follicles, or mucus, which can help solve cases such as murder, physical assault and sexual assault to name a few. I don't just want to work in forensics because of my love for genetics. I was inspired and in awe of the forensic scientists I met. I got to see the drug lab, the toxicology lab, the biology lab, and the gun lab, where I also got to see their range and vault. I have never been one interested in guns or bullets, but I was still in awe of everyone in that lab. Everyone I met genuinely wanted to tell me what they did and how everything worked. I loved hearing everyone "geek out" over their work and how much they were able to help others. I met many women working in the bureau including the director. When it comes to law enforcement and science, many people think of men before they remember any women. Although I'm not looking for praise as a forensic scientist. As a forensic scientist, I want to contribute to people being safe and justice being served. I will be preventing victims and their families from going their whole lives without answers, and putting the people who hurt them behind bars. If I end up working in the toxicology or drug labs, I will be helping keep people from getting addicted to drugs, people who are already addicted to drugs get help, and potentially decrease the amount of drunk driving related crashes, injuries, and deaths. The reason I am not pursuing a Forensics degree is because a Biochemistry degree will prepare me to work in any lab I am put in, and I want to help as many people as I can.

One global issue I am passionate about is the fight against human trafficking. As the daughter of a police officer who works in the local Internet Crimes Against Children unit, I’ve learned about how to stay safe online. But I only learned about human trafficking two years ago, when my dad became the handler of our city’s only Electronic Detection Canine, who is funded by an anti-human trafficking nonprofit. That nonprofit is OUR, or Operation Underground Railroad. OUR is dedicated to helping those who have found themselves as victims of human trafficking and dispelling common myths such as human trafficking and human smuggling being the same crime. I am often looking into the truth of human trafficking and have learned that most human trafficking occurs within the victim’s own community and more often their own family. The Internet Crimes Against Children unit deals with cases of child pornography in any kind of media. Yet if a child or adult was sexually abused because of human trafficking, but no media was available DNA testing will allow their assailants to be discovered and brought to justice. I plan to major in Biochemistry because of my sense of justice, and I firmly believe that no one should have to sell themselves sexually to survive nor should it be treated as if it doesn’t exist. My biochemistry degree would prepare me for the future of a forensic scientist, and I would be able to help human trafficking victims stand up to their assailants if they chose, but also to protect any vulnerable people from said assailants. I have always been interested in genetics and already try to learn as much as I can. Through DNA testing, we can narrow down our suspects and hopefully confirm the assailant. No one deserves to constantly live their life in fear, or believe they have no one to turn to. I want to help people feel safe; I want people to be safe. Everyone knows that human trafficking exists, but few people want to address it. It’s almost as if it’s become taboo. I have started conversations with other high school students and even some of my teachers and helped dispel some of the commonly believed myths. One thing I ended up teaching others was that out of every country in the world, the United States had the highest reported number of human trafficking cases in the world for two thousand twenty-one. We parade around calling ourselves “The Land of the Free”, but we often are in the top three countries for human trafficking every year. I do not just plan to use my education, so I can help identify assailants by their DNA. I also want to teach others about human trafficking and why we should all be more involved with speaking up for the victims. I am not someone who was trafficked, nor do I personally know a victim, but people often do not even realize they are being trafficked. The best was way to advocate for survivors is to let them tell their stories, support them, and keep yourself and others informed. I want to teach my college campus how to identify human trafficking, and help my fellow students know how to protect themselves from it.

I am the eldest daughter of three, the daughter of a police officer, and the oldest granddaughter on one side of my family with mostly girls, where only two grandchildren are boys. I have a very close relationship with my sisters and cousins, and know I would be setting some examples through my college decisions. My family have all served this country in some way, shape, or fashion. Because of my family, I want to give back to my community and my thrill for genetics has put me on the path to become a forensic scientist. Specifically I want to work in the biology lab, which handles blood and other bodily fluid found at crime scenes, among other things. The biology lab also tests sexual assault kits to try and identify the assailant through the DNA sequences found in the evidence that the victim turns in through their sexual assault kits. This creates an idea of what the assailant looked like, and drastically decreases the range of suspects. Women are already underrepresented in the world of STEM, and I want to see that change. Marie Currie only got her first Nobel Prize because she worked with her husband who fought for her to receive credit. Her work with Uranium was revolutionary for her time, and she almost didn't get the credit she was due. Many women are forgotten to history, and even in modern day. I am not someone who actively seeks out credit for myself, but I want to see others receive their due credit. As a forensic scientist, I would be working behind the scenes like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson who all worked at NASA during the Apollo 13 mission. Those three women along with others didn't receive recognition for years even though they were invaluable to the mission. Forensic scientists do not work for their own recognition, but to help their community. Forensic scientists want to keep people who want to harm others away from the people they want to or could hurt. I want to be one of those people who does not look for their own glory, but to keep others safe without expecting anything in return. I do not expect people to know my name, nor do I want it. I want to see people safe, and criminals face the consequences of their actions. In 2024, it was estimated that around five hundred thousand women reported that they were sexually assaulted, and there are undoubtably cases that were not reported. Every one of those victims deserves justice regardless of if they reported it or not. Some women feel like have no voice, and as a forensic scientist I want to help them have their voices heard.

In the last two decades, there have been many impressive advancements in the forensic world. Cold cases that were near impossible in their time, are now commonly solved with modern forensics. One of the best advances in the forensic world is without a doubt, Next Generation Sequencing, or NGS. Next Generation Sequencing allows forensic scientists to explore DNA more closely from a crime scene even if the DNA is damaged, old, or extremely small. When paired with CODIS, a national database developed by the FBI in 1990 for DNA found at crime scenes, Next Generation Sequencing has helped solve many cold cases, give peace to families, and bring criminals to justice. Next Generation Sequencing can be used in a variety of cases, ranging from rape, murder, robbery, and missing persons. All that is needed to use Next Generation Sequencing is any form of DNA whether that be blood, mucus, a hair follicle, or a toe nail. As someone who wants to work in forensics, I hope to help bring peace to families and keep people safe. All too often, criminals were able to escape from justice because the technology did not exist to catch them. As a forensic scientist, I would see what we have the technology to do and what we do not. If people were able to escape because the technology did not exist to catch them, is it not the job of a forensic scientist to find a way to catch them? Forensic scientists are part of law enforcement, and at their heart they should want to keep people safe. In 2023, there were roughly 19,000 homicide cases in the United States alone. If not for Next Generation Sequencing, some of these cases would never be solved. If not for forensic scientists, these cases would not be solved. Even then, we cannot guarantee that all of these cases were solved. Some criminals will admit to their crimes and offer themselves to justice. Then there are other criminals who will do anything they can to stay free and avoid their consequences. There are some cases that won't be discovered for years, and sometimes the criminal won't be around to be punished But Next Generation Sequencing can at least bring peace to the victim's family. Even if I cannot see justice carried out for the victim, the victim's family will at least know what happened and not be left asking questions for the rest of their lives. I want to continue my education in biochemistry, so I can develop new techniques in science and contribute to justice for the victims while helping their families find closure.

I have always loved the idea of helping others. My dad is a police officer and has been my whole life. I have always loved hearing about cold cases my dad helped solve. I would always ask him about what he was doing and different kinds of cases. The instances that caught my attention always required more in-depth forensic work. I started to watch various forensic shows with my dad including Forensic Files and other shows that didn’t unrealistically glorify forensics. Last summer, I decided I wanted to work in forensics after years of saying I wanted to be a teacher, veterinarian, or anything else under the stars. I was able to tour the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation over the summer, and I was in awe of everything I saw at the labs. I was able to ask various questions and learned that I would have a better chance of being hired with a Biochemistry degree rather than Forensics. Because of my dad’s example as someone who cares about justice, making a difference for other people, and helping many people find closure, I have a strong sense of justice and want to help others whether that is through closure for an old case or a brand new case. My love for genetics and my thirst for knowledge, along with what everyone at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told me, helped me decide to study Biochemistry. When I graduate from college, I want to work in forensics to contribute to a safer society. I would ideally work in the Biology laboratory. By working in the Biology laboratory I would be evaluating blood and other bodily fluids from a variety of cases, including murder and assault. Yet I also understand that scientists are needed in other laboratories, including toxicology and drug laboratories. All cases are important. Toxicology deals with DUI’s, or Driving Under the Influence, which can be connected to property damage or even vehicular manslaughter and add more consequences to the case. The Drug laboratory helps identify substances that are suspected to be illegal. What I want to accomplish with a degree in Biochemistry is helping people prove their innocence, helping prove that someone is guilty, and helping society become safer by providing factual evidence that can protect everyone. The role of a forensic scientist is to provide honest and factual evidence without passing judgment on the individual. Forensic scientists adhere to a code of ethics, as they must. They cannot make up evidence against the defendant because they don’t like the defendant in a personal relationship. I will not and cannot support such behavior. My dad has also helped in some digital forensics, involving infotainment systems in cars and cellular devices. He recently told me about a case he worked forensics for that went to court, and he was able to question another expert’s claims about there being no evidence against the defendant when in fact there was. She argued that she meant that there was no evidence to support the defendant’s claims. It was questionable ethics, and the defendant ended up being convicted. As a forensic scientist, I want to make our society safer. With a biochemistry degree, I will be able to work in nearly any laboratory needed and assist the innocent in defending themselves. That is the scene of justice my parents have instilled in me, and I truly want to make a difference in this world for the better.

I have always loved the idea of helping others. My dad is a police officer and has been my whole life. I have always loved hearing about cold cases my dad helped solve. I would always ask him about what he was doing and different kinds of cases. The instances that caught my attention always required more in-depth forensic work. I started to watch various forensic shows with my dad including Forensic Files and other shows that didn’t unrealistically glorify forensics. Last summer, I decided I wanted to work in forensics after years of saying I wanted to be a teacher, veterinarian, or anything else under the stars. I was able to tour the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation over the summer, and I was in awe of everything I saw at the labs. I was able to ask various questions and learned that I would have a better chance of being hired with a Biochemistry degree rather than Forensics. Because of my dad’s example as someone who cares about justice, making a difference for other people, and helping many people find closure, I have a strong sense of justice and want to help others whether that is through closure for an old case or a brand new case. My love for genetics and my thirst for knowledge, along with what everyone at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told me, helped me decide to study Biochemistry. When I graduate from college, I want to work in forensics to contribute to a safer society. I would ideally work in the Biology laboratory. By working in the Biology laboratory I would be evaluating blood and other bodily fluids from a variety of cases, including murder and assault. Yet I also understand that scientists are and will be needed in other laboratories including the Toxicology and Drug laboratories. All cases are important. Toxicology deals with DUI’s, or Driving Under the Influence, which can be connected to property damage or even vehicular manslaughter and add more consequences to the case. The Drug laboratory helps identify substances that are suspected to be illegal. What I want to accomplish with a degree in Biochemistry is helping people prove their innocence, helping prove that someone is guilty, and helping society become safer by providing factual evidence that can protect everyone. The role of a forensic scientist is to provide honest and factual evidence without passing judgment on the individual. Forensic scientists adhere to a code of ethics, as they must. They cannot make up evidence against the defendant because they don’t like the defendant in a personal relationship. I will not and cannot support such behavior. My dad has also helped in some digital forensics, involving infotainment systems in cars and cellular devices. He recently told me about a case he worked forensics for that went to court, and he was able to question another expert’s claims about there being no evidence against the defendant when in fact there was. She argued that she meant that there was no evidence to support the defendant’s claims. It was questionable ethics, and the defendant ended up being convicted. As a forensic scientist, I want to make our society safer. By having a biochemistry degree I will be able to work in nearly any laboratory that is needed and assist the innocent defend themselves. That is the scene of justice my parents have instilled in me and I truly want to make a difference in this world for the better.