Counting History

Erica Quinones ’22 is double majoring in English and German studies with a political science minor. This past summer she was a research intern at the Maryland State Archives where she took part in a project that seeks to identify and share the stories of people enslaved by former governors of Maryland. She was part of what is known as a “counting history” project.

 

“Despite being entirely online, I really loved my work and the ability to learn daily. The work itself was revealing and connected me to Maryland in a complicated twist of ways,” she shared.

This isn’t the first time Erica has worked with sensitive content matter. The previous summer, Erica interned at Mid-Shore Pro Bono, where her duties included managing social media, writing newsletters, and conducting research on civil legal issues. Her research in the position included how legal issues—such as eviction foreclosure, custody, and bankruptcy—disproportionately affected lower-income Eastern Shore residents.

Her time with Mid-Shore Pro Bono allowed her to experience the real-world application of her research and writing. Erica says that “knowing that the information I gathered went directly towards addressing inequality, be it by informing them of their renter rights or tracing out the timeline to filing a case, was a fulfilling knowledge.”