In January, the 10th grade class was invited to spend the day at Cal State LA.  There, the faculty and staff put together an extraordinary itinerary that began with presentations from Dr. Beatrice Yorker, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, and representatives from COPE Health Solutions and Western University of Health Sciences. 

Among the wide variety of medical and scientific majors and careers discussed was the field of forensic science.  While many students had seen CSI and other similar shows on television, none had ever had a first-hand look at the work of these scientists.  That was about to change.  Following the presentations, students were led on a tour of the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, a state-of-the-art criminal laboratory and education center on the campus of Cal State LA.   The facility is a partnership among Cal State LA and the Los Angeles Sherriff's and Police Departments and houses both classrooms and actual criminal laboratories.

During the tour, students were given the opportunity to look through microscopes to examine cat hair vs human hair, watch a professional test a red compound to determine if it was human blood, and learn how the lab technicians can identify and differentiate drugs and other substances, among other unique experiences.  They walked through hallways that featured samples of bullet shattered glass and read stories of actual crime scenes and the clues unearthed by forensics.

The tour had a significant impact on the students.  "When we first got there and they asked if anyone was interested in going into forensics as a future career, no more than two students raised their hands," shared 10th grade English teacher and trip chaperone Mr. Freixes.  "Later in the afternoon, they asked the same question and most of the students raised their hands."

Students were also led on a tour of the entire Cal State LA campus and were excited to mingle with college students during lunch at the Golden Eagle Food Court.

We are so grateful to Dr. Yorker and Dr. Joseph Peterson, Director of the School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics at Cal State LA, and to everyone at Cal State LA for making this wonderful trip possible.

For more pictures of this trip, click here.