PKG Social Impact Internships: Dana Osei (’23)
About Me
Hello, I’m Dana Osei, a rising junior from Gainesville, Virginia. I’m currently pursuing a major in Business Analytics (15-2), which I hope to couple with a double in Economics. Alongside my academic pursuits, I’ve also taken part in a few social impact research groups since attending MIT, including a Antiracism and Technology Design UROP with the Media Lab. Learning more about the many inequities faced by the communities that surround me, as well as working towards ways to mitigate them, have been a driving force in my journey as an undergrad.
Internship Experience
I chose this internship because I was extremely impressed with LDF’s approach to advocating and fighting against racial disparities. Moreover, since working with them I’ve been exposed to a much clearer image of many of the injustices in our government today, and I’m so grateful for that. By working with the NAACP LDF and aiding in the creation of different data visualizations, I’ve gained insight as to how to best communicate data.
As a data analyst, I’ve researched hair discrimination practices against Black women and the different laws being passed on critical race theory throughout the US. The reality of the discriminatory practices still happening to this day is quite shocking. Black women are actively being penalized professionally due to the natural state of their hair and certain parts of history are now not allowed to be taught in some states.
All of these issues are valid, and must be acknowledged. Coming up with ways to communicate each of these concerns has been a learning curve, but I’ve enjoyed the process. By doing thorough research, working with my supervisor & other people in the office, and attending various informational meetings, I’ve been able to produce some informative outputs.
Conclusion
This internship has been a really wonderful way to learn more about the educational and legal industries as they relate to underserved communities. I’m always happy to find a way to engage in social impact work, and I feel especially lucky that I was able to do it this summer with the PKG center and the NAACP LDF.
Interested in doing a Social Impact Internship? Learn more about our IAP opportunities by clicking here!
Tags: Anti-Racism, Racial Justice, Social Impact Internships, Social Impact Internships Summer 2021
