Internship Takes Chemistry Major Into the World of Forensics
Mikayla Santoro ’18 spent her summer interning in the Toxicology Department of the SC Law Enforcement Division. With her future focused on pursuing a career in forensics and toxicology this chance to shadow forensic analysts and forensic technicians was a rare opportunity for Mikayla. Her role primarily involved performing data mining, contributing to the department’s research of common drugs found in DUI cases during 2016. Mikayla observed technicians as they tested biological samples for alcohol or drugs.
“I was fortunate enough to have taken Instrumental Analysis with Dr. Hawk the semester before my internship,” Mikayla said. “With the knowledge I obtained from this class, I was able to understand better the analytical methods and instruments used by the department in the analysis of these biological samples. I benefited from having knowledge of organic chemistry that I also obtained at Converse when it came to analyzing chemical structures. It was a great opportunity to witness firsthand the requirements and responsibilities of being a forensic analyst. The experience overall reaffirmed my interest in the field and pursuing a career in it.”