The following story was published in the Laredo Morning Times Business Journal. Laredo College participates each month and everyone is encouraged to pick up a copy of the Laredo Morning Times to catch the story first.
Despite advances in technology used by crime scene investigations, there is little doubt that the strength in these tense, high-pressure situations lie in the talented and highly trained investigators. With LC’s Forensic Science Technology Program making its debut this fall, its first all-women cohort also made a strong debut amid their labs and hands-on training sessions.
Mere minutes inside the classroom are enough to show how a class of confident, curious and hopeful students with a dream can ultimately impact the forensic field. Aside from a skilled instructor, the bonds built each day significantly improve their success in fieldwork and team building.
“Being in an all-female program helps us build strong teamwork and confidence, knowing we are breaking barriers together in a field that is often male dominated,” Forensic Science student Clarissa De Leon said. “It’s inspiring to learn and achieve alongside such motivated peers who share the same passion and goals.”
She added that the following two years of working together is something she looks forward to. As they study and work together, they’ll get to know each other better. After the first eight-week term, there is a real sense of trust within the cohort.
Both De Leon and LC Forensic Science student Monserratt Infante said their time in the program has strengthened them not only in their forensic skills but in their personal growth as well. Whether shedding a timid nature or not shying away from confrontation, there is more to learn at LC than skills in a promising career field.
The hands-on program combines scientific knowledge with practical application, providing the cohort with the foundational skills needed to conduct investigations, analyze evidence and support the pursuit of justice. LC Forensic Science Skills Instructor Gregorio Cantu’s insight and knowledge on the subject are powerful advantages at the students’ disposal.
Through their fieldwork, De Leon and Infante work alongside their cohort in analyzing crime scenes, equipping the necessary tools and reviewing the findings to ensure that everything needed is accounted for. Elevating the experience is the array of equipment available to students that helps them out in the field and in the lab.
Early Fall 2025, the cohort traveled to the Laredo College Police Department parking lot to process a vehicle. As they arrived, they analyzed the scene, reviewed the vehicle for markings, fingerprints and other notable details. After the preliminary analysis, they opened hardshell cases filled with equipment from cameras to fingerprinting tools.
Cantu explained the value of procedure, guided them through best practices and allowed the students to shine through their own learned experience. The cohort coordinated after the initial photos, discussed the best equipment to use for specific areas such as the vehicle handles, the hood, its interior and finished with a stronger sense of what forensic science stands for.
With Cantu’s law enforcement experience, he explained what could be missed by fledgling investigators and the techniques to ensure a complete vehicle process. Infante said that Cantu’s experience has been instrumental to her success in the program.
With a strong sense of justice, both Infante and De Leon have made it clear that their cohort’s resolve will get them to graduation. The trust they’ve built through long hours and shared experiences inside the classroom and in the field has brought them closer, laying the foundation for a sisterhood rooted in their shared purpose and goals.