Kendra Brenya ’22

The Institute for the Quantitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (QSIDE), Williamstown, MA

This summer, I was the Media Management Intern at a small non-profit called the Institute for the Quantitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (QSIDE). This organization uses quantitative approaches to research social justice issues and uses their findings to inspire change and reform. QSIDE serves as a network for scholars interested in the intersections of quantitative academia and social justice; by inviting scholars of different disciplines to get involved in social justice work and research, they are extending the list of academic disciplines that can get involved in diversity work. I had an amazing time learning how this small but powerful non-profit is influencing the way we pursue social justice.

My role as Media Management Intern required me to manage the “face” of the organization. Essentially, I was in charge of the organization’s presentation on social media and public outlets. Coming into the role, the organization had a small Facebook and Twitter presence. Because many aspects of the organization were still growing, they didn’t have much to publish before my time at QSIDE. However, this past summer has been an extremely busy time at QSIDE, and I was able to incorporate a lot of our new projects into our social media stream.

I’d say our biggest project was the Judicial System Transparency Through Federal Archive Inferred Records Project—a research initiative that traced federal judges’ sentencing patterns and made this information public for the first time in history. The project composed of a pre-print as well as a data visual that offered extensive federal sentencing information from 2008 to 2018. My role in the project was to make our data as public as possible. I created a three-part tutorial series on how to best utilize the data visuals and published the videos on Facebook, Twitter, and our new social media platforms, Instagram and YouTube. I also wrote a press report on the project and sent it out to journalists who had influence in areas relating to law, social justice, criminal justice and more.

Apart from this project, much of my time at QSIDE consisted of staying updated on its projects and proceedings and finding the best way to let our followers and associates know what we were doing. I designed Instagram posts with the graphic designer that summarized some of our past, current, and future projects. We also designed posts that aimed at uplifting the voices of Black organizations at a time where Black individuals’ rights and freedoms were being robbed from them. My role revolved around responding to what was going on at the moment and informing our followers.

This internship really showed me how much work goes into a social justice oriented non-profit. I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to do some kind of socially impactful work in the future and being a part of this non-profit this summer showed me that real grit and determination is needed in order to make a difference. I’m so grateful to the Kraft Family and the ’68 Center for Career Exploration for this opportunity. I wouldn’t have had the confidence or comfort I needed to do this job if it weren’t for their help and generosity.