Missouri: Tragedy Influences Columbia College Student's Career Choice

[Jacob Redmond]

When Columbia College senior Sammi Macht was a child, her friend and his father were murdered in her hometown of Waseca, Minn.

"That destroyed me as a seventh-grader, and it destroyed our community," Macht said. "It takes away all of your safety and your confidence in the world."

Michael Zabawa was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of shooting and killing Tracy Kruger, 40, and his son, Alec, 13, and shooting and severely injuring Hilary Kruger, 41, in their Minnesota home. The Krugers' youngest son, Zak, was sleeping over at a friend's house when the attack occurred.

"Some of that" sense of safety "was restored in time with the forensic evidence proving that Michael Zabawa did it," Macht said.

Zabawa's conviction gave the community closure, Macht said. The role forensic evidence had in the trial motivated Macht to pursue forensic science as a career.

"It had a huge impact on what I wanted to do," Macht said.

When Macht graduates, she will have two degrees – chemistry and forensic science – and a crime scene investigator certificate. Macht said she has not told Hilary Kruger that the family's tragedy influenced her career path.

Christopher Babayco, Columbia College assistant professor of chemistry, said his students who choose to study forensic science have many motivations for doing so. Some, he said, think forensic science sounds cool, and some just enjoy science.

Babayco said he find's Macht's motivation impressive – she is taking a painful memory, facing it and moving forward, he said.

"I think a lot of people are afraid to confront the things that scare them and have happened in their past," Babayco said.

Macht hopes to work in a state or federal lab and has most enjoyed working with drug chemistry. This past summer, she interned at a county lab in Minnesota and researched the composition of marijuana, which is part of her current senior distinction project.

Babayco described Macht's project as timely, as more and more states consider legalizing marijuana.

"Having a real solid comparative study of different ways of qualifying what is likely to become a more commonly available drug is extremely timely," Babayco said.

As more states legalize pot, Macht said it's important for labs to be ready to analyze the drug in all its forms.

The lab work Macht did during her internship influenced her plans to pursue a job in drug chemistry after college. She attended a meeting during that internship to present her research findings. One of the attendees was the drug chemist who worked the Krugers' case.

"It was amazing to be in the same room with someone who has influenced my life and they have no idea," Macht said.

Babayco is supervising Macht's senior distinction project and has worked with her on other research projects and taught her in multiple classes. She is the kind of student he loves to teach, he said.

"She's very passionate, and she's very interested," Babayco said. "She's curious. She'll try something, and if it doesn't work, she learns from it, which is the whole basis of science."

News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Tragedy Influences Columbia College Student's Career Choice
Author: Megan Favignano
Photo Credit: Brennan Linsley/The Associated Press
Website: Columbia Daily Tribune

 

[420 Warrior]

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