#PittsburghMe: Meet Sarah Lukaszewicz, Forensic Science Major Monday, February 22, 2016

Who is your favorite professor, advisor or staff member on campus?  

I might sound biased, but my favorite professor campus is Ed Strimlan, M.D. He is the head of my major, and he is a funny guy. He is also teaching me a lot with my major that is making me more interested in forensics than I already was. 

What activities are you involved in (both on campus and off)?  

I am involved in the Forensic Science Club, the Pitchburgh Pioneers (choir club), and I am mentoring younger girls with the Strong Women Strong Girls club.

My most memorable experience at Point Park so far was the SAIL Club Showdown. It is a three-day-event where the different clubs at Point Park compete against each other in different events. My club, the Forensic Science Club, participated in the events. We ended up getting second place in the competition and won $100 for our club. This event was my favorite experience at Point Park so far because our club came together and worked as a team to win and our hard work paid off.

What has going to school in the city of Pittsburgh taught you?    

It has taught me how to be more social with people, since the school is in the city. Also, I learned what it was like to live in the middle of a big city like Pittsburgh. I've gained a lot of life lessons and valuable experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. 

One life lesson that I have learned is that since Point Park is in the middle of Downtown Pittsburgh, you get a lot of job opportunities and get to experience what it is like to work in a city. It is a good thing to have under your belt. I will be working the DICK's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon this year, so I will get to see what it is like to work a big event in Pittsburgh.

How has attending Point Park prepared you for your future career? 

The classes I am/will be taking are getting me prepared for field work and lab work, along with teaching me all the necessary information I need to be in the forensics field after graduation.

I want to be either a medical examiner or a forensic investigator. I am majoring in forensic science so I am taking a lot of science classes. I will be dissecting different animals, setting up and investigating crime scenes in my classes for my major, and learning about the body and how it relates to different types of deaths. What I find interesting is death and how to figure out how someone died by performing an autopsy on the deceased. I have always been interested in that type of stuff, and when I was in high school I got to dissect a cat since its organ setup is similar to a human's. That's what made up my mind to major in forensic science.

What advice would you give to an incoming student?

I would say to be involved in as much as possible on campus and be able to manage your time wisely (this isn't high school). Remember to have fun. 

Read more #PittsburghMe profiles

Photo by Victoria A. Mikula, junior mass communication major
Text by Jakob Como, senior multimedia major