Blog 1 – Senior Final Lesson/Interview Reflection

Life as a Forensic Analyst is filled with lots of paperwork!

1.  What three lessons were most helpful for you to see, and why?

• One of the lessons I found helpful was Ian Kam's Outpatient Physical Therapy. This is because the presentation showed me that if your presence in a room while presenting is very powerful you can make any topic sound interesting. Throughout the presentation the speaker kept his audience very engaged and this allowed for real understanding of the topic and better retention. Which hopefully I can carry on these skills to my presentation. 

• The second lesson I found helpful was Cesar Ponce's Imagineering. This is because I found that the best way to engage your audience and to get them to take your topic seriously is to have an interactive activity that has a purpose behind it.  The more hands on the activity is the better the audience will respond vs a paper based activity. If I can get my activity to correlate with my topic then hopefully I will be able to give my audience a greater understanding of my topic.

• The final topic I found helpful was Eliora Smith's Prosthesis. This presentation helped me learn that if you have a strong research background on your topic it helps you speak during your presentation without doubt. During the presentation the audience asked several questions that seemed very in depth, yet the speaker was able to easily answer them. I hope to carry these skills on to my presentation.

2. List one thing that you learned about the senior project in interviews that will help you get off to a good start?

• One thing I learned about the senior project during the interview was that if you want to be able to make time practice. Practicing your presentation early was the main thing that came up during interviews. Relating to this overall all in general is that time management is key. If I can utilize time management tools I know I will get off to a good start.

3. What topic(s) are you considering, and why?

• The main topic I am considering is Forensic Analysis. This is because I have a passion for science and crime scene investigation. Puzzles to me are fun to solve and this topic is something I am genuinely considering for a career. The only problem I will encounter is finding a mentor.

• Another topic I am considering is Veterinary Medicine. Again this is also because I have a passion for the topic, and if I actually pursue this in life I want to open a free spay/neuter clinic.

• The final topic I am considering is Genetics. This is because no matter what career I pursue I want it to involve science.

4. What EQ do you think might be interesting to consider in guiding a project like this? (Please don't worry about any sort of formula...we want this question to come from your genuine interest).

• What can a Forensic Analyst do to best ensure accuracy among evidence?

5. What are some ideas you have about finding summer mentorship?

• Finding a summer mentorship for this topic is absolutely terrifying to me. The only place I can think to start is doing a police explorers program. That way I can gain connections that ultimately lead to me being able to talk to a real forensic analyst.