Where are you from? Why did you choose to attend FSU?
I currently live outside of Dallas, Texas, but I was raised all over the U.S. I chose FSU because they have one of the best CSI programs in the country and because they have forensic entomology as an elective class for that program.

What inspired you to choose your degree program?
Crime scene investigation appealed to me because it allows you to help people via the solving of puzzles. I believe this field will allow me to experience new and interesting challenges daily. Also, I grew up sneak watching shows like Bones and Criminal Minds so it’s cool to learn the real life science behind those types of shows.

What has your experience been so far in the program?
My experience has been phenomenal. The classes are challenging, but the professors do their best to ensure that you’re understanding the material.  The summer labs are exciting because I have been able to apply my classroom knowledge to real-world situations. Also, it’s been nice to finally meet my classmates.  

What aspect of your area of study do you find most fascinating?
Currently I’m taking forensic entomology, which might be my favorite class so far. It’s wildly fascinating how entomological activity can be used to help approximate what happened during a crime and help to provide additional context about when the crime may have occurred. 

Who are the faculty or staff members that have helped or inspired you?
Dr. Bundage has been a phenomenal professor. Her passion, knowledge, and expertise makes forensic entomology easy to understand and exciting to learn. Professor Perdue and Professor Pelham are both incredibly dedicated and kind teachers who have been very generous with their time and knowledge.

What do you like to do when you’re not doing school work?
Along with being a full time student I work full time as a fraud investigator. My hobbies include: boxing, bowling league, and watching stand-up comedy. Before COVID I was a freelance concert photographer for about 8 years, so I’m looking forward to getting back into that this year. 

After you graduate, what are your plans?
After graduation the plan is to apply for an internship with INTERPOL. This would allow me to live overseas for several months while gaining work experience and connections. After that, the plan is to move to the northeast coast and work for a government agency as a special agent. The long term goal is to help educate the general public about how crime scene investigation,  evidence collection, and processing actually works.; so that they can be more educated jury members.

What advice do you have for fellow students?
Everyone says it, but good time management can make or break you. For me, making a to-do list and organizing it by what needs to get done everyday helps my workload not seem so overwhelming. Also, find an outlet that allows your brain to take a rest. For me, that’s watching stand-up comedy and occasionally screaming into my pillow. It helps.

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)