Jennifer Castillo
Forensic Specialist
Pasadena Police Department
Pasadena, CA USA
“Believe in yourself. You don’t have to immediately accomplish your goals, you can achieve them step by step just by motivating yourself.”
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
It took a lot longer than I thought it would to get my undergrad degree. I added a criminal justice minor which caused me to graduate after 7 years.
I still have not graduated from CSULB. I started working off campus and it took me away from my lab work.
I was disqualified from LA Sheriffs application process.
It’s really hard to find time to finish up my thesis and finally get my masters degree.
My personal life really affected my career. I had to let go of a person that I thought would be in my life forever. Since leaving him, my career has gotten better.
Education
High School
Whittier Christian High School
Whittier Christian High School
Bachelor
Chemistry
California State University, Fullerton
Chemistry
California State University, Fullerton
Career
Forensic Specialist
Photograph and process crime scenes for evidence.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Law
Science
Helping People
Day to Day
I arrive and log on with dispatch. No two days are ever the same. I wait for an officer to call over the radio for forensics to either photograph or process a crime scene. Crime scenes are all different as well. Sometimes I only take photos of a victim or vandalism / graffiti. At burglaries, I take photos, dust for prints, collect prints if I find any, and also swab for DNA when available.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Find someone who has information about becoming a crime scene investigator. They can tell you what programs to join or what schools offer a forensic science program. They can also help you find a job in the field. It’s a small field so networking is a good idea. I kept in contact with the coordinator of my CSI certificate program and they helped me throughout my entire application process.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Myself:
"I won’t stand out in this competitive field. I was an average student and didn’t think about my future. I took to long to finally get a job in the career I always wanted."
Challenges I Overcame
Motivation
