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Young Forensic Scientists Forum Newsletter - September 2001 Words
of Encouragement |
| "I can never do this." I suppose every student feels that way sometimes, especially those who are fortunate enough to work under someone who is world-renowned in the field and who you think will probably forget more than you ever hope to know. I know that I did, even starting in forensic science as a high school senior. Sure, I had worked at a crime lab back home, and for all the years I have spent thus far as an undergraduate, I have worked for Dr. Neal Haskell in forensic entomology. So what? All the classes, all the hours, all the books seemed to be useless in helping me feel like I had learned something. I looked at everyone I met in forensic science in awe, like looking at an image I knew I could never reach. What was all this for anyway? I had worked as hard as I could to get good grades in all my classes, lost sleep to pass finals and finish things for the lab, given up weekends and nights to work, and stayed in Indiana for a summer instead of going home to my family to gain more experience. I felt way behind. Then in June, after my sophomore year (and the summer I had stayed at school to work), Dr. Haskell put on a workshop to train police officers, crime scene technicians, and those involved with forensic investigation how to properly collect and preserve entomological evidence. The workshop was two days and consisted of both lectures and fieldwork to demonstrate the particular discipline. Dr. Haskell asked me to help. Assuming I would be running around and getting things set up and cleaned up, I agreed in hopes of meeting some people that could teach me a thing or two. The time came, and as I expected, the morning consisted of running back and forth to the lab for materials and trying to sign people in. When the lecture ended, we all packed up to go into the field where Dr. Haskell had laid out some pigs throughout the month to decompose and be colonized by insects. These insects had to be collected and preserved according to the training of the lecture, which I had done countless times in the lab for him. To my surprise, Dr. Haskell assigned a group of attendees to me and sent us off in our own direction. Apparently, he expected this silly little forensic science wanna-be to instruct a group of experienced people I admired. Okay, I'll just stand by and let them go to it and make sure they don't trip over branches in the woods. I didn't get off that easy. They had questions. They asked me. I was amazed that I could answer one, let alone all of them, and was able to walk all of them through the procedures that I never realized I knew so well. These people respected me. I could do this on my own. They even thanked me for showing them what to do. It's not like it was that hard, but nothing really is unless you're not sure how to go about it. I walked away from the workshop with new contacts and friends, a certificate, some sorely needed confidence, and a "good job" from Dr. Haskell. I study harder now. I know that it's worth it, because while there are always things you won't learn until you are right inside a situation, if you want to learn bad enough, you will succeed. You never realize how much you know until you have to really use it. I can do it, as long as I don't think I can't. |
Copyright
© 2001 Young Forensic Scientists Forum / American Academy of Forensic Sciences |