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For digital forensics major Jessee Dabrea ’17, her life goal has been to go into the field of policing. Then a chance reflection on her future led Jessee to explore the field of digital forensics. She originally thought that it was going to be her ‘Plan B,’ but it turned out to be much more.

From an early age, Jessee Dabrea ’17 wanted to be a policewoman, keeping the community safe. Her focus and determination were apparent from an early age. While in middle and high school, the Enfield (CT) native was a member of the Police Explorers sponsored by the Enfield Police Department. The national program has served as a platform from which countless young adults have launched a successful career with local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

This experience just confirmed Jessee’s direction, and she enrolled in Asnuntuck Community College. Completing one year, Jessee decided to enlist in the US Air Force. It was a life change, but one she was glad she did: “For two years I was in military security forces. I was able to get on-the-job experience that would not only help me in my career, but added to my resume.”

After her enlistment was over, Jessee returned to Asnuntuck and completed her associate’s degree in criminal justice. She began her bachelor’s degree at the University of Connecticut, but it was then that she had that conversation that changed her life.

“I was sitting in a class and the professor was questioning me about my ‘Plan B.’ ‘How can you make yourself more employable as a police officer? What happens if you get hurt?’ I didn’t think in those terms and I started investigating how I could make myself more valuable. Digital forensics came out on the top of my list. I researched who had a program in this area and 91¿ì²¥ was one of only a handful of colleges that were offering this major.”

Now a second-semester junior in digital forensics, Jessee has dove into the field of digital forensics. She has taken courses in Digital Forensics Investigations and Network Security, and is currently taking a directed study under the guidance of Professor James Scripture, a 35-year veteran of the FBI.

“I can’t tell you how much I love this field. Certainly, you have to be comfortable with computers—both the hardware and the software—but I am in the forefront of a new era of crime. People don’t realize how the nature of crime has changed, and so much of it is internet based. Every police force, business or organization now has to pay attention to a new criminal: one that’s using a computer to go after our identity, hack, or plant malicious software. A number of things.”

New words and terms have entered her vocabulary such as imaging a hard drive, ransomware, bitcoins and software programs that are the tools in detection. It can sometimes be a scavenger hunt, but the rules are still search warrants, rights, procedures, and gathering evidences; the same concepts for a normal crime.

“I still want to be in policing, but this major will definitely give me more of an edge. I’m planning to do my internship, and I know this will be invaluable. I definitely have my ‘Plan B’ under control.”

Her advice to prospective students about the field: “Things are changing so fast in the criminal justice world that having experience in digital forensics is not just an option, it is a necessity. It’s more than just a ‘Plan B’!”