10th CST hosts student for middle school research project

Photo By Maj. Sara Morris | Corrina Carras, a middle school student from Olympia, receives a hands on demonstration of equipment from the 10th Civil Support Team. Carras shadowed the unit in February 2020.  

CAMP MURRAY, WA, UNITED STATES

04.16.2020

Story by Sara Morris 

Joint Force Headquarters - Washington National Guard

While schools are closed for the rest of the year, an eighth grader from Olympia was able to expand her knowledge with help from the 10th Civil Support Team before the shutdown.

“My curiosity and my mentor suggested this to me for my eighth grade project study for forensic science, I’m just exploring it I guess,” said Corrina Carras, Nova Middle School.

Carras’ mentor is a retired guard member who had served in a civil support team previously. When Carras mentioned to him that she was looking for a way to shadow someone involved with forensic science he suggested the 10th CST.

“It was great to have her come and see us, and you know a lot of people don’t know what the CST is or don’t know that we even exist, so having someone young come out and check us out was great,” Sgt. 1st Class James Hanrahan, medical non-commissioned officer in charge, 10th CST. “For the CST it sets us up for a bigger presence in the community with that outreach to younger folks and letting them know that we’re around and for the ability and approachability for students and an organization like ours.”

Every eighth grader at Carras’ school has to choose a project based on something they are interested in and learn more about. It should be something they don’t have much experience with and want to explore. Carras chose forensic science.

The CST was able to show Carras around to each section and give her an example of how they work alone and together at a scene to assist with local agencies. Her favorite section was the survey team and learning about their different equipment capabilities.

“My favorite activity was the chemical testing with the strips, testing for negative and positive, because I prefer to do the hands on stuff,” said Carras. “I’d like to use Foyer Transform Infrared more, it had a laser that you point and it reflects and reads what it is and matches with a chemical identifier.”

Hanrahan said that Carras very receptive to everything we were saying.

“I remember 8th grade me, and would not have, I would have lost patience and been confused immediately so it was great. She kept up even if she says she did understand, she put a good front on that she was picking up everything we were talking about even really complex things.”

The 10th CST hopes this will lead to more students coming in to shadow them and learn more about what they have to offer their communities.

• Date Taken: 04.16.2020
• Date Posted: 04.16.2020 14:42
• Story ID: 367576
• Location: CAMP MURRAY, WA, US
• Hometown: OLYMPIA, WA, US