For Annikah Tacchini, the path to a forensic science career didn’t start in a textbook. In fact, it started unexpectedly when Annikah expressed an interest in forensics as a high schooler. Annikah comes from Lakeview, Oregon, a town of just 2,000 people, and it was because of local connections that she found her way to forensic science. 

Because Lakeview lacked a crime lab, the local funeral home director would drive bodies to Central Point for autopsies. Annikah reached out to learn about the process, hopped in the truck, and ended up shadowing the Forensic Pathologist for the Oregon State Police, Dr. James Olson, as he performed three autopsies. She recalls being fascinated by how analytical the process was, and enjoyed watching the scientist solve puzzles in real-time by talking to detectives and piecing together evidence. 

That experience solidified her dream, leading her to SOU where she is now double majoring in Biomedical Science and Forensic Chemistry. At SOU, she has gained hands-on experience with sophisticated instrumentation like Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)—tools used to identify drugs and molecular structures that most undergraduates across the country don’t get to use until graduate school.  

Annikah is already putting these skills to use in her pre-capstone research. Working alongside her mentor, Dr. Hala Scheppman, she is developing a project to analyze “nitazines”—synthetic opioids that are notoriously difficult to differentiate from other drugs. By spending her senior year cleaning, loading, and mastering the GCMS instrument, she is building a practical foundation that most forensic scientists don’t acquire until they are already in the field. 

Beyond her rigorous lab work, Annikah has woven herself into the SOU community. She serves on the leadership team for both the Pre-Healthcare Society and the Newman group, where she manages social media and fosters collaboration among like-minded students. As an Honor Scholar, she found a diverse cohort that became her closest circle of friends. She also works on campus as a Chemistry Tutor in both the Tutoring Center and the Science building, further cementing her role as a student leader who supports her peers while pursuing her own high-level research.

This level of involvement is made possible by the support she has received through scholarships. Annikah is candid about the financial weight of college, especially coming from a family where both parents work full-time with two younger biological siblings, and two foster siblings. She describes the scholarships she received—including the Rotary Scholarship—as vital. 

“It’s such a stress reliever,” Annikah says of the financial support. “I don’t have to worry about how I am going to pay for school or pay rent. It’s something that you just get to take off your shoulders.” 

The scholarship process at SOU felt personal to her, rather than just a bureaucratic hurdle. She recalls a Rotary member reaching out to her personally during a busy term to check on her and remind her of a deadline so she wouldn’t lose her funding. This sense of being truly seen by the community is what she values most about the university. Annikah says, 

“I feel so fortunate. It is so special that people here truly care about us as students…They want everyone to be supported. It’s an amazing feeling to be supported. It’s like an investment into your dreams.” 

Because of this investment, Annikah is on track to graduate entirely debt-free, a feat she credits to her tenacity and the generosity of the SOU donor network. By removing the constant anxiety of tuition, this scholarship has allowed her to focus on her ultimate goal: working at the Central Point Crime Lab. While she knows there are five crime labs in Oregon and is open to paths ranging from evidence processing to specialized drug chemistry, her heart is set on staying local. She has already applied for a summer internship at the lab to determine if she needs to pursue a Master’s degree or if she can jump straight into the workforce. 

As a multi-generational Raider whose great-grandmother earned a degree at the school when it was still SOC, Annikah is doing more than just earning a degree—she is solving her own life’s puzzle with the full backing of a community that believes in her future. 

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