Meredith Lerma is a former intern and graduate student in the TRC now working in Crime Analysis. Thank you to Meredith for taking the time to chat with us! To learn more about internships with the TRC, click here.
When were you with the TRC?
I first worked with the TRC in Spring 2018 during my last semester of undergrad, then continued working there throughout the summer of 2018.
What did you do after your internship and where are you now? What do you like most about your current job?
In the fall of 2019, I continued my education in the M.S. in Geography program at U of A while working at the TRC as a Graduate Research Assistant on the CoRR grant. After finishing my masters, I began a job with the Memphis Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) as a Senior Crime Analyst. I work in the RTCC on federal grants in conjunction with the University of Memphis. My favorite part of my job is applying the skills I gained throughout school and working with the TRC to my position as a crime analyst. I love being able to use what I leaned to help others in my community.
Did any internship/student research experiences shape your decisions about school or jobs after graduation?
Before working with the TRC, my focus in undergrad was on international relations. I initially wanted to work in foreign policy but after interning I found my passion in understanding and preventing crime domestically. I shifted my academic focus from international relations to understanding the spatial relationship of domestic far-right extremist incidents and actors, which I wrote my thesis on. I now look at the spatiality of incidents on a daily basis at my job.
Do you have any advice for current interns regarding how to get the most out of their internship experiences?
The best way to get the most out of your internship with the TRC is to apply yourselves to whatever assignment you are given and ask as many questions as you need to. Katie and the GAs are great resources for advice not just pertaining to the TRC but for your future in academia and careers as well.
What do you miss most about U of A or Fayetteville?
I miss a lot of things about the U of A and Fayetteville. I probably miss my friends the most, but there are a lot of things that I did not know I would miss until I left. I miss pulling all-nighters, I miss coming into to the TRC to an office that always smelled of coffee, and I miss saying hello to all the interns, my fellow GAs, and supervisors on a daily basis.