A few years ago, Marilyn Heidecker was more likely to portray a criminalist on TV, film, or stage rather than work as an actual scientist who analyzes physical evidence in criminal investigations.
She was a longtime actor before discovering her love for science. The 46-year-old resident of Glendale will attend the Commencement ceremony for the College of Natural and Social Sciences at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 18, to receive her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Cal State LA.
The degree brings Heidecker one step closer to her goals of becoming a forensic scientist and then eventually a private investigator. In the fall, she will return to Cal State LA to begin work on her Master of Science in Criminalistics.
“I really want to insert myself into the workforce in a more meaningful way,” Heidecker said. “I want to serve the community.”
Forensic scientists apply scientific principles to examine evidence collected from crime scenes, accidents, and other legal investigations.
Heidecker never thought she would excel in science. Growing up in Alberta, Canada, she said she was content getting by with all C’s during high school.
Although she always fancied the idea of becoming a forensic scientist, she thought it would take too much effort and time to earn her degree. So, she turned to acting instead.
Heidecker moved to the United States to study acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio of New York. She worked mostly in theater, but her credits under her maiden name, Marilyn Porayko, also include television, independent films, student films, and short films.
She met husband, Tim Heidecker, in New York, and they eventually moved to Southern California, where Marilyn furthered her studies with Playhouse West. (Tim is best known for being half of the comedy duo Tim & Eric and for the shows they created for Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network.
By the early 2010s, Marilyn had grown frustrated with the entertainment industry and needed something new. She enrolled at Glendale Community College (GCC) for criminology courses with the idea of becoming a police officer.
“I was noodling at the time, so I started taking these classes but quickly realized that was not my path,” she said. “My professors were ex-captains and they had these stories! My nervous system can’t handle those situations.”
She said she started from scratch, having forgotten much of what she had learned decades earlier in high school. She relearned such basics as fractions and then discovered an aptitude for science after auditing a chemistry course.
“Science was totally foreign to me,” she said. “I sat in on the introductory chemistry class. Hearing the information on repetition really helped me develop. I learned a love for science by starting from the beginning, not skipping anything, and learning it all thoroughly.”
That was when she turned back to the idea of forensic science.
At GCC and later Cal State LA, the straight-C high school student transformed into one who excelled, with a 3.97 grade-point average, and consistently landed on the dean’s list. Heidecker is graduating summa cum laude.
“I was intrinsically self-motivated to do well,” she said. “I wasn’t trying to get good test scores, per se, but I really wanted to learn the information. I mean, it’s hard. There were certain semesters when I would ask myself, ‘What am I doing here? Maybe this is where it all ends.’ But I would work harder and figure it out. That’s how I know I’m not a genius. I just worked way hard.”
Heidecker credits Cal State LA for providing her with a well-rounded education. In addition to her science courses, she found inspiration in such classes as Race, Gender, and Hybridity of the Americas and Disability Studies.
“The awareness and expansion of perspectives beyond my personal bubble are invaluable and can be attributed to these courses, as well as to this university’s ethos of highlighting diversity,” she said.
Shortly after starting at GCC, Marilyn and Tim started their family, which led to her stopping and starting school on a few occasions. Their daughter Millie is 12 and their son Charlie is 9.
Heidecker volunteers at her children’s schools, and through the PTA and the Cub Scouts of America. She and her children often participate in political protests.
“I joke that school is my side hustle. My kids come first,” she said.
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 26,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex and the TV, Film and Media Center. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
