Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)
I do not yet have a mentor but I am currently working on it.

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?  

I am planning to join the Pomona explorers program to find connections to the Forensics team.

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person?

When I do have a mentor, I hope to have a high comfort level with my mentor because it can make mentorship much more enjoyable. 

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?

I have not yet done my interview 2 because I don't have a mentor. Once I have my mentor, I hope everything will go well with my interview 2.

Blog 9 - Advisory Prep 3

1. State whether or not you currently have a mentor, and what the status of your interview is with that person (I have completed the interview, I have scheduled the interview, I have not scheduled the interview, etc).

I do not currently have a mentor but I hope to have one in a couple of weeks. Therefore, I have not scheduled the interview yet.

2. At this point, your research is probably guiding your studies toward more specific areas within your topic.  Name the area or two you find most promising and explain your reasons.

Criminalistics/Forensic Chemistry (basically the same thing) or Forensic DNA analysis. Criminalistics/Forensic Chemistry is a promising, more specific area of Forensic science because it involves the examination and analysis of all evidence, which allows there to be more research. Forensic DNA analysis involves the analysis of DNA that is found at a crime scene to match a suspect or victim. DNA analysis is a promising topic because it is the most exclusive tool CSI has to fight crime today and there is also a lot of controversy about the science behind it being correct.

3. What kinds of sources do you think will help you in the next month to gain more research depth?  Where will you go to get them?

In the next month, I will continue to search the internet because I know there is a whole other side of Forensics I have yet to find. After I run out of sources online, I can check out Forensic books at the library and even look up informational videos on YouTube.

4. Write down a possible EQ.  Please don't worry about wording other than ensuring that it provides the option for multiple correct answers.  At this point, the senior team is most interested in understanding your thought process.

What is the best way to insure that a Forensic DNA analyst is giving a correct detailed analysis of the crime so it does not lead to an innocent person being wrongly convicted?

Blog 8 - Independent Component 1 Proposal

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I plan to make a Forensics magazine to let people know that forensics is more than just what Hollywood shows on TV. I want to let people know the real world of forensics and how much more complicated. I feel that forensics on tv, is given too much credit for not fully letting their viewers know what forensics is. I chose to do a magazine because it is the most modern form of physical communication besides social media. plan to start with a magazine template and write articles about different view points of my topic. I'll add relevant pictures that will catch readers attention to read the articles. I could even include interviews with my mentor or people who have an opinion towards forensics. Towards the end of my magazine, I'll show statistics of how people know about forensics. Whether it'd be from fiction tv shows, reality tv series or know someone in the field. After it's all done, I'll print it on fancy paper and bind it all together to make it look like a legitimate magazine.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

For my forensics magazine, I plan to do research from the inside out on the history of forensics. Then write articles explaining what they actually do and how forensic scientists aren't paid enough for what they do. I'll also explain that there are some flaws of forensics and what we can do to fix this because it can cause innocent people to be convicted. The more people know about real life forensics, the more research and funding goes to creating a solid foundation of forensic science in the future.

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

Creating a forensic magazine will help me understand that as the technology of forensics is always evolving and improving, so should the analysis and projection of research towards this unique career. Forensic science is in badly need of reform and I feel that it is only possible if society knows what forensics is really about.

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.