Allison Staley Interns with the Forsyth County District Attorney's Office

Honors sophomore and math major Allison Staley is spending the summer interning for the District Attorney's Office in Forsyth County, North Carolina (Judicial District 21) in their Violent Crimes Unit. Allison hopes to attend law school once she graduates from Appalachian and eventually aspires to become an ADA herself. She has spent the bulk of the summer prepping a case of assault with a deadly weapon that inflicted serious injury. Her work with that has included writing case summaries, extensively reviewing video, tracking down witnesses, viewing evidence, meeting with case officers, and developing case theories.

Additionally, she has been observing trials, preparing court dockets for district court, interviewing witnesses, and serving subpoenas with the street crimes unit. She spent the early part of her summer on Appalachian's "Secret Codes Through World War II" study abroad trip to Washington, D.C. and London led by Drs. Rick Klima and Holly Hirst, both Professors of Mathematics. Wow, now that is a full summer!

Honors students typically spend their summers applying the knowledge and skills they learn during the school year to real-world situations. It is that first-hand experience, which Allison is gaining that solidifies knowledge and provides the necessary foundation for future learning and success.
Given her professional aspirations, Allison has previously interned with another District Attorney's Office in a lower crime area. She is currently working in Forsyth County with ADA Matt Breeding in order to gain experience with the Violent Crimes Unit. He has already confirmed that she has what it takes to succeed in this profession!

Congratulations, Allison, on your incredibly productive summer and thank you for sharing your story.

Photo by Matt Breeding shows Allison holding the first legal document she wrote on her own.

Story by Garrett Alexandrea McDowell, Ph.D.

Published: Aug 2, 2017 12:21pm

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