My STEM major is Digital Forensics and Incident response, which is the documentation, chain of custody, examination, and recovery of data found in digital devices. I chose Digital Forensics and Incident Response as my major because I want to help people through the Digital World. Science and Technology is a fast-paced, ever-changing field that I strive to be a part of. Digital Forensics is a branch of forensic science; At any crime scene, evidence is gathered - I want to collect and analyze digital evidence. Digital Forensics involves analyzing data and reconstructing fragments of said data (there can be a plethora of it), which is used to draw conclusions based on the evidence. I primarily chose this field to aid in litigation cases where predators can be held accountable for their reprehensible actions again younger and more vulnerable individuals. With technological advancements, another layer of safety needs to be added to protect those more vulnerable. I want to be a part of helping protect individuals from the most heinous offenders. The increase of child sexual abuse images at the fingertips of predators and intensified online activity of those seeking contact with underage victims is something we need to recognize as a society. My goal in Digital Forensics is to capture this data and bring it forward in criminal cases. I am passionate about this because no human or child should ever be the victim of a crime. I want to aid in prosecuting predators who victimize and traumatize person(s) through digital means and are punished for their actions. I am steadfast in pursuing my goal, no matter how complex or challenging. Digital Forensic Science is the amalgamation of Technology and Science and is an integral part of STEM and the Criminal Justice System that I know I will one day be a part of.

I can relate to Maggie's bold move to the United States, as that is what I set out to do four years ago. I am originally from the United Kingdom, and as much as I love my home -the place where I had resided all my life, I wanted more. I felt that in the position I was in, I was unable to grow. I yearned and wanted to sincerely experience more of life and what the world had to offer. Uprooting your life can be a daunting experience, especially with no connections; I have felt that daunting feeling more than once. When I moved to the United States and found my roots, the floods in California uprooted my being, and I had to move once again. I set out in my car with nothing but a small suitcase of the belongings I had managed to salvage, and in two days secured a job position and found my new home. When my life had finally settled, I was tenacious in pursuing my education. In my younger years, I struggled with school profoundly, but I did not want my past to hold me back; I wanted to go to college, and my first step was to obtain my GED. In just under two months, I passed all the GED exams. Maths has, undoubtedly, always been my foe, the hurdle I felt I could never jump. I had to work to get the voice out of my head that told me I couldn't do it, that I wasn't smart enough. So every evening, sometimes for 11 hours, I would study, fill notebooks to the brim, and sometimes cry at my computer at the math challenge. But I didn't let that stop me; I would take ten minutes, compose myself, and go back and try again. Sometimes I would laugh because sometimes, it was a situation where you laugh or cry! I am now pursuing my bachelor of Science in Digital Forensics and Incident Response, and like the GED, I am working with just as much tenacity to be the best I can be. I am a 4.0 honor student of which I am so proud, I worked hard to get to where I am, and sometimes imposter syndrome kicks in, but when that happens, I look at the wall and see my achievements; there is the proof I need, I can do it.

I aspire to help those within the field of Digital Forensics, which is the preservation, documentation, and examination of forensic evidence that pertains to a crime. Just as someone would gather forensic evidence from a crime scene, I aspire to collect evidence from the digital world. I hope to one day work in the public sector alongside the judicial system and aid them in litigation cases. I am particularly passionate about seeking justice for young children who have been victims of cybercrime. The ever-growing world of technology can be used as a tool for many great purposes. It can be housed with a wealth of knowledge, fun, and connectivity, but it can also accommodate dangerous people with ulterior motives. In 2021 alone, 52,774 URLs containing CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) were discovered. I aim to work with the law to help seek criminal punishment against predators that use the digital world for nefarious purposes and who subsequentially inflict harm on those more vulnerable. As technology has grown, so has its ability to hurt people, so we as a society must have individuals who can defend the virtual world, and that's what I am striving to do. I knew I wanted to help people, but I was never, with certainty, sure of how I would do so. I wanted something that would resonate with me and my personality, so when I discovered this field of learning I had never heard of, I knew it was for me. I am an analytical person who can sometimes be misunderstood as a cold person, so I thought to myself, how can I help people if my personality does not 'mesh' with my passion? That is when I found Digital Forensics, a field in which the analytical mind can be used as a tool with a purpose. I can delve into the digital world and help people differently. (I don't think I'm cold; I take a while to warm).

In my younger years, pursuing my education was a profound challenge for me. For a long time, I held on to my teachers' comments. "You are a failure and will never prevail in life" Mr. Smith's comment stayed with me for a long time and, in some ways, contributed to my fear of pursuing my education further. I finally acknowledged (with the help of my husband's forever-affirming encouragement) that I am capable and that I shouldn't let fear hold me back from what I want in life. It took me a long time to get here, and that's okay. There is no set timeline. I aspire to help those within the field of Digital Forensics, which is the preservation, documentation, and examination of forensic evidence that pertains to a crime. Just as someone would gather forensic evidence from a crime scene, I aspire to collect evidence from the digital world. I hope to one day work in the public sector alongside the judicial system and aid them in litigation cases. I am particularly passionate about seeking justice for young children who have been victims of cybercrime. The ever-growing world of technology can be used as a tool for many great purposes. It can be housed with a wealth of knowledge, fun, and connectivity, but it can also accommodate dangerous people with ulterior motives. In 2021 alone, 52,774 URLs containing CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) were discovered. I aim to work with the law to help seek criminal punishment against predators that use the digital world for nefarious purposes and who subsequentially inflict harm on those more vulnerable. As technology has grown, so has its ability to hurt people, so we as a society must have individuals who can defend the virtual world, and that's what I am striving to do. I knew I wanted to help people, but I was never, with certainty, sure of how I would do so. I wanted something that would resonate with me and my personality, so when I discovered this field of learning I had never heard of, I knew it was for me. I am an analytical person who can sometimes be misunderstood as a cold person, so I thought to myself, how can I help people if my personality does not 'mesh' with my passion? That is when I found Digital Forensics, a field in which the analytical mind can be used as a tool with a purpose. I can delve into the digital world and help people differently. (I don't think I'm cold; I take a while to warm).