Reflections

Southern Utah University put the EDGE Program as an experiential learning requirement in place to give students an opportunity to develop skills that may not be acquired through regular class activities. Through the process of thinking, planning, completing, and reporting this project I was able to develop and learn new leadership skills. These skills are both useful and sometimes required for my future career, but I believe they are even more important for my personal growth and development as a person. Working with my supervisor taught me that there is not a unique leadership style, but everyone has their own personal approach for different situations and working together they sort of complement each other.

 

The thinking and planning for the research are the two steps that required more effort. The ability of designing a project including all its details, budgets, and expected outcomes, even knowing that some things won’t go as expected, is a great ability to have. During the unfolding of the project I learned that being able to follow the plan laid out, which includes deadlines and budgets, and being able to rearrange things that don’t work as you go is important to have a more complete and thoughtful final result.
Reporting your research clearly and concisely to peers and to the general population is key. Sharing where you are coming from and where you are heading, sharing your goals, your failures and your achievements can help others.
Anyone can be a leader but that doesn’t mean you are a good one. To be a good leader you need to have intention and purpose. A leader is not just someone that knows everything and demands attention, but is someone who shares their knowledge and experiences with others and guides them.
From completing this project I learned that my accomplishments are not as valuable if I am unable to pass them along to others effectively. These achievements include but are not limited to professional development, parenthood, community, and personal growth.

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For this project, I wanted to do something original, something different than what I do everyday as a student, something that was valuable for what I would like to do as a career. Talking to my forensics science professor, I was able to get an internship in the crime lab with him as my supervisor, and put my project idea into motion. The goal of my project was to determine how bloodstain patterns differed under several circumstances, such as different velocities and different surfaces where the blood can fall onto. The study was carried out by using synthetic blood on fabrics and surfaces like white cotton, white wool, foam, synthetic leather, and glass. These materials were kept constant throughout the research. What changed were the velocities at which the patterns were recreated and the tools used to accomplish the patterns. I was able to achieve this goal because I collected good data to compare the patterns and because I received great suggestions and insights, during and after the completion of the project, from my supervisor. The outcome of this project was to gain valuable experience and the benefit of it is to, hopefully, have a leg up when applying for graduate school and future jobs. Also, by completing bloodstain pattern analysis, I was able to determine if blood pattern analysis is one of the fields I want to focus on in my future career. I realized how interesting bloodstain pattern analysis is, and I would like to do more work with it in the future.

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Even though the EDGE Program is not offered anymore at SUU and, even though the three EDGE classes and the project required a lot of effort and engagement more often than not, I am glad I was able to complete the program. I gained knowledge and skills that I am sure will help me in my future and that, otherwise, I would not have been able to develop before finishing my undergraduate studies.