We were delighted to hear from Grace Cornell OQ (2017) about her amazing academic career in the field of Forensic Science. Grace’s is one of many testimonials we will be sharing with Year 11 pupils at next week’s A-Level Investigation Evening.

After I left Q in 2017, I went to the University of Kent to study an integrated Masters in Forensic Science. During my studies, I looked at key Forensic skills such as Evidence Collection, Ballistics, Digital Forensics, Fire and Explosions, Substances of Abuse, Incident Management and many others. 

Alongside the forensic aspect, I also undertook Chemistry modules alongside those who read Pure Chemistry, learning key laboratory skills and synthetic routes. I also had the opportunity to use our large analytical machines for analysis including Mass spectrometry, NMR, High Performance Liquid Chromatography and others in the Physical Science Department at Kent. 

I also had to study aspects of Criminal Law as well as prepare and defend an Expert Witness report in a real court room. 

In my Masters Dissertation, I was fortunate enough to work with Dr Helena Shepherd and her research team looking at a newly discovered molecules called Donor Stenhouse Adducts (DASAs).

I completed my degree in May 2021 and officially graduated in July 2021 with a First Class degree. I am now on a year out from university and working full time while I apply for PhD positions in research Chemistry both in the UK and abroad. I am also look at jobs in the same field, with graduate programmes in places such as DSTL, Eurofins, Pfizer and many other institutions offering scientific research positions. 

I am very happy with what I have managed to achieve in the last four years since I left Q and I know the skills I gained at Queenswood have helped me to step into this every changing world of science and discovery.