My name is Chelsey and I am currently a senior attending the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. My major is in anthropology with a minor in criminal justice. I am writing to express my interest in the anthropology program at here at the University of Tennessee. Majoring in anthropology has been one of the best decisions I’ve made as an undergraduate. I’ve found the field to be intellectually stimulating and the material I’ve learned has provided me with the drive and desire to seek a career that can positively impact the law enforcement community.
I fully believe that forensic anthropology has adopted a pivotal role within investigations all over the country; especially in cases of interpersonal violence, homicide, the identification of war dead, and mass disasters. I served in the United States Navy for a rather short period of time. I was medically released after an accident aboard ship that resulted in traumatic brain injury, requiring surgery. Alongside that were other instances that resulted in a diagnosis of PTSD. The training I received from the Navy gave me the discipline and perseverance to pursue and undergraduate and I now believe that I am ready to take on the challenge of obtaining a graduate degree. With this degree I plan to pursue a career assisting other forensic specialists in identifying war dead so that I may give back to those who gave their lives for us and give their families much needed closure.
I have interned with the Forensic Anthropology Center processing human remains and the Anthropology Research Facility assisting in placing and monitoring human remains for current graduate students and professors. During this time I have developed skills that are used in the professional world of law enforcement today such as documenting the disturbance of biological evidence through photography and documenting skeletal remains placement on graph paper. I have also participated in the proper recovery of human remains using techniques such as surface surveys and trowel “digging”, which was used to carefully and systematically remove thin layers of soil. Another important part of forensic anthropology that I’ve had the opportunity to work with is the ability to establish a biological profile.
During my time with the Forensic Anthropology Center, I acted as an intern and a shift leader for a group of four people. I assisted in cleaning human remains in a sterile environment so that they may be used in a classroom setting. It was important that I help in instructing those who were new to the facility to follow proper safety protocol and proper handling of the remains. Because the other students I worked with had a limited knowledge of osteology at the time, as a shift leader I was able to teach them about the bones of the body, proper names, and which side the bones were from (left or right) based on certain key features. It allowed me to gain leadership and teaching experience that I could not have gotten anywhere else.
Participating as an intern with these facilities has been both enjoyable and rewarding, allowing me to obtain skills relevant to the professional world of anthropology. I fully believe that with the skills I have obtained I am now ready to take on the new challenge of completing a master’s degree.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
