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.