Melvin Jackson - Law and Policy Lab

Hey, I’m Melvin Jackson, a senior at Hoover High School. Last year, I attended the Law and Policy Lab, and this year I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to serve as an Ambassador while attending the Forensic Research Lab here at CART. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities and experiences I’ve gained at CART, from improving my public speaking skills to learning more about my future career field. It’s truly been an eye-opening experience.

This year, during Project 2, I had the opportunity to act as a forensic anthropologist and forensic odontologist. Working with a group of my peers, we analyzed dental records to identify a deceased victim in a mock crime scene. We then combined this with bone evidence and presented our findings in a mock trial to a jury (our families), ultimately convicting the criminal of multiple crimes. During this project, I also had the chance to speak with several industry professionals, including a coroner, arson investigator, police officer, and crime scene technician.

For our showcase, my group was selected to be featured in the gallery. We created an interactive game using real animal bones and riddles. Families were given a bone and asked to identify the animal it belonged to based on a riddle. They were then taught the differences between animal bones and human bones, focusing on the morphology, features, and overall structure. Families also learned about our project and what we accomplished over the past few months at CART.

This week, we’re moving on to Project 3, where we dive into the minds of serial killers. I was assigned to research Albert Fish and develop a psychological profile on him. We’re currently learning the professional process used to profile criminals, giving us an introduction to forensic psychology, without the cost of a college tuition. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity, as I couldn’t get an experience like this anywhere else. I come to school every day excited to see what I’ll learn next and optimistic about eventually starting my career in the legal field.