Name: Nicole Cacurak
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Coral Springs, Florida
Major: Criminology, Chemical Science
Relationship Status: Taken
Her Campus (HC): What do you want to do after you graduate?
Nicole Cacurak (NC): Along the lines of forensic science, detective work, and investigative work. Forensic science is determining time of death and cause of death and working under the law to figure it out.
HC: What made you interested in this field?
NC: Criminal Minds. Also, I’ve always been good at solving problems and finding things out. I’m also thinking about going to law school, so I thought this might be something that I would be interested in. I like chemistry, but I also really enjoy studying criminology, specifically the criminal aspects of it.
HC: Do you see yourself in D.C. in a few years? Maybe working for the FBI?
NC: Yes! The first time I went to D.C. was when I was in elementary school and went with this leadership program called “People to People.” I’ve been three times since then. I would consider working for the FBI, but who knows?
HC: Is D.C. your favorite place in the world?
NC: It’s not my favorite place, but it is somewhere I would consider living because I like the environment and the fact that it’s in the North. It has a lot of different cultures and the atmosphere is very different because it has so many opportunities.
HC: If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go?
NC: I would probably go back to Africa. It’s very different from home. In Europe, there is more architecture and historical stuff, but you still feel like you’re in a major metropolitan area. Life in a Third World country is very different. I would want to explore the idea of life there more.
HC: Where were you the first time you went to Africa?
NC: I was in Ghana, which is in West Africa. I was there for a month building different aspects of a school, and once a day we would go to the primary school and help the kids learn English, math, and reading skills. We often got to work hand-and-hand with the kids from the community, and they loved seeing how their school was advancing.
HC: What are you involved with on campus?
NC: I’m involved in the criminology fraternity, which is called Lambda Alpha Epsilon (LAE). It’s like a business fraternity, but it’s basically to help you find connections in the criminology department. They can offer you many different internships, and you can see all the different aspects of jobs there [are] under the heading criminology, like criminal justice, for example. I’m also a member of Sigma Delta Tau, a Panhellenic sorority on campus.
HC: How do you find time to balance these along with all of your schoolwork?
NC: Don’t procrastinate! I try to do a little bit of work everyday, so I don’t feel stressed out all the time.
HC: Favorite clothing store?
NC: Nordstrom because I like how they have cute clothes that are reasonably priced (their own brand), but also have high-end clothing from other retailers. You can also buy clothing for every type of occasion instead of just one. And they have a great shoe selection in my size!
HC: Finally, what is your favorite thing to do in Tallahassee?
NC: Just exploring everything Tally has to offer because the environment is very different from South Florida — hiking, food, everything! And there isn’t a beach on every corner. Mostly I just sit at home and watch Netflix.