Hockaday teen’s Minutiae Artistry inspires kids to become forensic explorers
Forensic science isn’t exactly front and center in most school curriculums, so many students never get the chance to see how exciting the field really is.
That’s where Abigail Snyder comes in.
The Hockaday School senior has been passionate about forensic science since seventh grade, and now she’s changing the way kids think about the subject — one fingerprint at a time.
Abigail’s fascination with forensic science began when she first learned about fingerprint analysis.
Neighborhood Spotlight
Preston Hollow
“There was just something about it that blew my mind,” she said. “The idea that no two people in the world have the same prints — that tiny ridges can hold such big stories — I was hooked.”
As a researcher with the Doe Network and as an intern with a former detective working on both cold and new cases, Abigail deepened her understanding of fingerprinting and forensics. The experiences also strengthened her belief in the power of mentorship, inspiring her to teach others about the field.
“I learned how understaffed forensics is and how little awareness of the work keeps people from pursuing it,” she said.
With a love for forensics, fingerprints, and inspiring young minds, Abigail founded Minutiae Artistry, a program designed to introduce students to the world of forensic science through art.
“I see both art and science as ways of exploring curiosity and expressing perspective. In art, we experiment with materials and styles; in science we investigate fields and connect ideas. Both invite us to interpret, admire, and learn from each other’s work,” she said.
In the workshops, students dive into the world of fingerprints, learning about arches, loops, whorls, and the fascinating minutiae — the tiny ridge details that make every fingerprint one-of-a-kind. But it’s not all just science. Students experiment using their own creativity, turning forensic techniques into artistic interpretations.
“It’s like CSI meets art class,” she said. “They’re learning real forensic techniques, but they’re doing it with paint, ink pads, and imagination. It’s fun, it’s hands-on, and best of all, it sticks. If even one kid leaves thinking, ‘That was so cool — I want to learn more,’ then I’ve made a difference.”
For the high schooler, who has partnered with schools, hospitals, homeless shelters, and libraries to teach her workshops, the mission is about more than fingerprints or forensics. It’s about showing that science is full of creativity and that even the tiniest details in the tip of a finger can be powerful, personal, and full of potential. “It shows to each of them that they are one in a billion and their fingerprints, just like their stories, are unique to them,” she said.
Whether her young students grow up to be forensic analysts, artists, scientists, or something entirely different, Abigail wants them to leave her workshops with more than just a piece of art.
“I hope they’ll walk out with a spark,” she said, “A spark of curiosity. A spark of wonder. A spark that says, ‘Hey, maybe I can be a scientist.’”
Author
