The revolutionaries of the forensic science world have transformed the criminal justice sphere and created a transmuted civil society in its wake. And I want to be the next. Throughout middle and high school, I sought out forensics courses and educational opportunities that would allow me to get more insight into a field that interested me. As luck would have it–or as I would like to think, a sign from the Universe–I found such a program not 30 minutes from my hometown. West Virginia University’s Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative allowed me to gain knowledge outside of what I had easily available to me. For weeks over my summer breaks, and some weekends during the school year, I would spend my days away from school in the University’s Crime Scene Complex; of which I had affectionately dubbed the Crime Scene Neighborhood. At the time, the ‘Crime Scene Neighborhood’ consisted of two houses purchased by the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science and a small red brick garage. With the help of professors and graduate students, I was given the opportunity to see just a fraction of the work done by forensic scientists and was able to try my hand at everything from blood spatter analysis to evidence collection methods. My experiences through this program and the friends, teachers, and mentors I had met further solidified my passion for forensic science. Following my graduation from high school, my involvement in the Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative prompted my application to West Virginia University. I was so sure that this was the path I was meant to follow that my application to West Virginia University was the only college application I submitted. Now being in my second year of undergraduate studies, I have already begun to look forward. I have recently begun to apply for federal and state internships, one of which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Honors Internship Program. The opportunity to work alongside the experts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to grow my skills to be able to serve in the best way I am able would be invaluable experience. The opportunity to serve is largely what keeps me passionate about forensic science. I want to be able to use my skills to speak for those who may not be able to and justly enforce criminal law in a world which seems to need those skills more and more.

The revolutionaries of the forensic science world have transformed the criminal justice sphere and created a transmuted civil society in its wake. And I want to be the next. Throughout middle and high school, I sought out forensics courses and educational opportunities that would allow me to get more insight into a field that interested me. As luck would have it–or as I would like to think, a sign from the Universe–I found such a program not 30 minutes from my hometown. West Virginia University’s Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative allowed me to gain knowledge outside of what I had easily available to me. For weeks over my summer breaks, and some weekends during the school year, I would spend my days away from school in the University’s Crime Scene Complex; of which I had affectionately dubbed the Crime Scene Neighborhood. At the time, the ‘Crime Scene Neighborhood’ consisted of two houses purchased by the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science and a small red brick garage. With the help of professors and graduate students, I was given the opportunity to see just a fraction of the work done by forensic scientists and was able to try my hand at everything from blood spatter analysis to evidence collection methods. My experiences through this program and the friends, teachers, and mentors I had met further solidified my passion for forensic science. Following my graduation from high school, my involvement in the Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative prompted my application to West Virginia University. I was so sure that this was the path I was meant to follow that my application to West Virginia University was the only college application I submitted. Now being in my second year of undergraduate studies, I have already begun to look forward. I have recently begun to apply for federal and state internships, one of which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Honors Internship Program. The opportunity to work alongside the experts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to grow my skills to be able to serve in the best way I am able would be an invaluable experience. The opportunity to serve is largely what keeps me passionate about forensic science. I want to be able to use my skills to speak for those who may not be able to and justly enforce criminal law in a world that seems to need those skills more and more.