"This class gave me a more thorough view of the different forensic sciences than what I would normally get in books or TV shows. I learned that when dealing in forensic science, your specialty is your specialty." - Joelle Waters
The Inspire program at the UVA | Northern Virginia gives high school students the unique opportunity to explore courses in subjects they’re passionate about. Meet Inspire 2025 student Joelle Waters! Joelle is currently a junior with big ambitions for a future career in forensic pathology. Between working at a waterpark, debating on her school’s debate team, and exploring forensic science programs for next summer, she’s already taking steps toward becoming a medical examiner. We spoke with Joelle about her time in the program, what she learned, and why the experience was so memorable.
Q: What drew you to the Inspire Forensic Science course?
A: What drew me to the Forensic Science course was the detailed research I had done beforehand on Forensic Pathology. I have always been interested in macabre and strange things. Going into a field where you can work with dead people and figure out what has happened to them, giving closure to families, and fulfilling my dreams of becoming a medical examiner is amazing. Also, of course, the TV shows and movies that we all grew up on, like Criminal Minds or CSI.
Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at Inspire?
A: My favorite memory was when we were all doing the Death Investigator reading. We got to figure out the cause of death of a young woman. Beforehand, we had learned about the stages of decay, the different mortises (liver, algor, and rigor), autopsies, and forensic entomology, so using that knowledge and applying it was really cool.
Q: What did you learn during this class?
A: This class gave me a more thorough view of the different forensic sciences than what I would normally get in books or TV shows. I learned that when dealing with forensic science, your specialty is your specialty. I had a big tendency to overthink certain scenarios. For example, at the beginning, I was analyzing a piece of glass and applying the scientific formula to it. However, I kept ignoring the glass and focusing on the blood, when my job as a trace evidence examiner was to identify whether the glass was from the window or from a vase.
Q: What did you enjoy most about the class?
A: This class really had me interested and hooked. Every day, I was learning something new, and it wasn’t watered down, which is something I enjoyed. A lot of times in forensic science programs, the teachers will not be fully truthful about what the field actually encompasses. I really enjoyed the fact that Ms. Genalo and Mrs. Leeman were both very upfront and truthful about what you may see in the field.
I believe that this class is a good basic class for the branches of Forensic Science. I could use the knowledge I have about forensic science resources, people, and programs to get more involved with the community. This would help me get a better start when the time comes for me to get a job in the field.
Q: What advice do you have for students interested in applying to this class?
A: Some advice that I would offer to people joining the program is that you should just be yourself and not be afraid to ask questions. In this field, there are a lot of misconceptions, and you may come in with some false narratives.
Inspire is a UVA | Northern Virginia academic summer program for rising 10th–12th graders to explore new interests and skills. Forensic Science is a one-week course designed to teach students the truth behind criminal cases! In this engaging, hands-on class, students will explore how the fields of science, criminal investigation, and law come together to solve real-life mysteries.
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