My Growth as an Honors College Graduate
As an emerging professional, I have transformed into a driven forensic scientist. I am constantly seeking opportunities to further my knowledge and have a strong desire to apply my skills to solving complex problems so that justice may prevail. The Honors College has played a pivotal role in preparing me to succeed in my career through the learning goals they have for each of their students:
1. Participate in intellectual experiences
2. Participate in engaged learning experiences
3. Grow inside and outside of the classroom
4. Develop a connection to the Honors community
Actively Participating in Intellectual Experiences
FIS 30101: Forensic Microscopy Lab
Personal & Professional Growth
Partaking in the Honors Contract in Forensic Microscopy Lab helped me to grow as a professional forensic scientist by teaching me how shoeprint analysis is used within the discipline. The experience also helped me grow personally by teaching me how to problem solve when performing experiments within a lab setting.
Artifact Demonstrates...
The artifact that is hyperlinked in the upper image shows future employers, not only the depth of my knowledge, but also how proactive I am when it comes to learning more about the field. I am willing to put in extra work and time to learn something new that could benefit the community and the pursuit of justice.
Learning Goal Growth
Before joining the Honors College, I would not have even thought about going outside of my class's curriculum to learn more, let alone conduct a graduate-level experiment on my own. However, I have grown as a student to be actively thinking about new and creative intellectual experiences that will help teach me more about my discipline.
Participating in Engaged Learning Experiences
BIOL-S 323: Honors Genetics & Molecular Biology Lab
Personal/Professional Growth
Taking the Honors Genetics & Molecular Biology Lab helped me professionally because I was able to develop my research skills while learning more about the "serial killer gene." The experience also helped me as a communicator by allowing me to practice my writing abilities as I explained to my professor and classmates what I learned during my research.
Artifact Demonstrates...
The artifact that is hyperlinked in the quote to the right shows future employers how I have grown my research skills to find reliable data and use them to form a accurate theory. Adding the research paper to the artifact also showcases the written abilities I have developed while in the Honors College to other Honors students.
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Learning Goal Growth
The Honors College's learning experiences include research, international/cultural experiences, service, and experiential/applied learning. Therefore, this artifact shows that I have learned how to perform research on a hypothesis and how to report back those findings in a clear and concise way.
Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom
Forensic Science Internship
Personal/Professional Growth
This internship has been the most beneficial experience! Professionally, I grew my networking community by interacting with as many lab analysts as I could during my internship, who also taught me the day-to-day duties of each forensic discipline. Personally, I became more confident in my abilities as a student, a forensic scientist, and a public speaker.
Artifact Demonstrates...
You can learn more about this internship by clicking the hyperlink embedded in the image at the very top. It will show future employers all of the experiences I was able to participate in, everything I learned while I was there, and how my perspective on which forensic science discipline I wanted to go into changed.​
Learning Goal Growth
Students can learn a lot of theory within the walls of a classroom, but it is the experience that will help them thrive in their career. Partaking in internships, job shadowing, volunteering, etc. is the best way to learn about the inner workings of your chosen discipline and to show employers your dedication to being your best within the profession.
Connecting to the Honors Community
"I Am" & "I Want to Become" Statements
Personal/Professional Growth
The Honors College has introduced me to some of my closest friends, which not only helped me grow as a person, but also become a better friend. Plus, the Honors community has helped me to learn who I am and explore who I want to become after graduation, both as a person and as a forensic scientist.
Artifact Demonstrates...
The artifact embedded in the middle image will show other Honors students how beneficial it is to engage with the Honors community, whether that be in classes, extracurriculars, or just inside the Honors Lounge Room. Knowing who you are is the first step in learning where you want to end up in life.
Learning Goal Growth
Because I got involved in the Honors community, I grew out of my shyness. This allowed me to make friends through classes and explore my interests through off-campus activities. I was also able to became more confident as a student by growing my networking community through Honors classes and Honors Contracts.
Success After Graduation
All of this learning has set me up for success after graduation by helping me develop strong communication, problem solving, and civic-minded skills. Each of my artifacts required me to communicate my Honors Contract to my professors. They also helped me to be a better student and pushed me further into my discipline. Plus, things rarely ever go according to plan, so I had to learn how to predict future problems and how to work around them to get to a desirable conclusion. Now I have a better outlook on how my work and projects can positively influence my community.