My practicum was located at the Forensic Science Division in PG County’s Police Department’s District 3 in Landover, Maryland. I found this site through a high school job fair that was open to recent alumni. Thankfully, PGPD was present at the fair, so I just walked up and asked them for information regarding their forensics science division. One of the officers there gave me the information, so I was just able to email the director of the division, Kristen A. Lease. As for advice, I would say to reach out and research whatever opportunity you are interested in. I walked into that fair with just my resume and no experience at a job fair prior and was able to connect with so many different people. I even recommend going to the location in person, especially if cold-emailing doesn’t seem to work. At this site, I was able to do a few things. First, I did some administrative tasks. That included organizing old case files, setting up rooms in the building, and accompanying my supervisor on any trips to the hospital, where she would pick up sexual assault kits for any victims. The organizing at some points did seem tedious, but it was crucial to the way the division needed to be run since they would be moving in the next year or so. It was also pretty cool to see the way cases were handled and filed–it’s not something you expect to see. Another task I had involved shadowing the scientists in the Drug Lab and Firearms Lab. The Drug Lab was most linked to my major, while the Firearms Lab was a bonus/additional shadowing experience. In the Drug Lab, I got to see how they inspect a drug to confirm what it is, and if it’s laced with anything. Their process is very important because this information can be used to help or go against a case. They would use chemical tests and instrumentation like the GCMS to confirm the drug type. In the Firearms Lab, it was more hands-on. They were using putty to see the inside of a chamber. They would also fire off guns (in a controlled setting) to test out how the bullets would impact the ground, etcetera. Although this wasn’t related to my major as much, I still appreciate the information I gained from the experience. As mentioned above, I learned a few things relating to science! In the Drug Lab, they used a lot of Organic Chemistry I and II knowledge to aid their findings. At the time, I had only taken Organic Chemistry I, but the scientists in the lab made sure to explain everything that I needed to know. For example, they would tell me what they’re dissolving a certain drug with, and why. For the most part, each drug had a specific mixture of chemicals that would identify it for the scientists, and they could use that information in their report. This work affected me beyond science because I was able to see just how important their work was. They not only were responsible for their respective part of PG County, but their findings in the Drug Lab affected those in all of PG County, and even D.C. So they have a huge impact on the larger community. To continue, I haven’t altered my plans directly due to this experience, but this experience has taught me that I don’t want to work in a lab all day–I want to interact with those around me. I am also a different major now, as I switched from Chemistry to Public Health Science. Despite this, I hope to use this experience in any future endeavor.