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法医和信仰：肯德尔·弗里曼'21
科学和信仰常常被认为是对立的。 One is said to be factual, the other purely emotional—Kendyll Freeman ’21, however, would say otherwise. A DNA analyst at the Adams County Crime Lab, Kendyll has found her scientific research not only supports her faith, but deepens it.
从混淆到犯罪分析
Kendyll fell in love with Covenant’s campus on a visit during her junior year of high school. She knew she wanted to play soccer in college, and playing on the Covenant team became an integral part of her experience and faith walk. She remembers her coach going out of his way to make her feel welcome and supported, and the team’s tradition of sharing senior testimonies, saying “That experience was always meaningful to me—it allowed us to create a strong, supportive team dynamic rooted in shared faith.” She also found community on her hall, 3rd South in Carter, and made close friendships that have stayed strong even after graduation. Kendyll studied biology, planning a career in healthcare, until she went through an existential crisis during her senior year. Her pursuit of a healthcare job had been nothing but draining as she shadowed doctors and interned at Erlanger. However, she found solace in her academics and working in the labs with Covenant’s biology department. Doctrine classes with Dr. Hans Madueme and a biology perspectives class with Dr. Tim Morris were the most edifying to her, as she loved the encouragement to debate aspects of theology and analyze her faith from a scientific perspective. “I discovered that true faith isn't just about emotions—it also engages the intellect,” she mused. During this period, Kendyll discovered and applied for an opportunity at the University of Kentucky in forensic toxicology and analytical genetics. Despite having no past experience with forensics, it became her major field of study at grad school.
学习曲线
After a couple internships with crime labs and research centers, Kendyll accepted a job at the Adams County Crime Lab in the Denver, CO, area as a DNA analyst. 的 six months of training were a big learning curve for Kendyll as a newbie to forensics. She shadowed current analysts, worked with extensive mock samples, and attended seminars, alongside more traditional academic training like readings and exams. It was intense, but Kendyll found the thorough nature of the training equipped her well to handle her job, especially since it combined science and law. “Understanding the court system and the legal standards required for working in an accredited lab is critical,” she says. “One of the biggest challenges is learning how to translate complex and technical scientific processes into language that’s understandable to a jury… My boss always emphasizes that it doesn’t matter how skilled you are as a scientist if you can’t effectively communicate your findings in court.”
法医实践
Kendyll has appreciated the objectivity of her work in forensics, seeing how science can clearly outline the evidence and bring justice. Isaiah 1:17 is a verse she often looks to, saying: "‘Learn to do right; 寻求正义。 Defend the oppressed—’ I believe my job aligns with this calling… I feel like I'm part of a larger mission to help victims reclaim their dignity and seek justice, answering God's call to care for the marginalized and vulnerable.” 信仰对肯德尔来说从来都不容易。 Her childhood faith traditions focused heavily on emotion, so she appreciated how her education at Covenant “integrated both reason and belief.” However, especially as she looks back at her path post-graduation, she can see God’s faithfulness in her life. “When everything started falling apart, I felt lost, confused, and angry,” she says. “But in the midst of that chaos, God led me to forensics, and the life I have now is so much more fulfilling than the one I had originally planned.” Surrendering control of her future allowed Kendyll to have peace both then and now, and she trusts that God has her exactly where He wants her to be.