Madi Clelland: The Data Behind the Business
This past quarter I have been focusing on the different reports that Cristo Rey Work Study uses to gauge the health of the program. These reports are pulled from SalesForce and measure a variety of metrics. The reports include details about students and their work placements. In addition, the reports display ratings that convey how the participating companies feel about the program. My main project has been organizing these reports into one succinct dashboard so supervisors can easily see which students may need additional help.
At first, I felt like I was simply staring at pages of numbers with no direction or idea of where to start. However, after slowing down and remembering the work that I have completed in classes at Santa Clara I felt that I had the necessary groundwork to break down the project into manageable parts. I also felt confident in my ability to synthesize the information so I could understand what the problem was with the current system and how best to fix it.
Overall, this project has helped me understand how data is used in day-to-day business activities, specifically in the realm of non-profits. Prior to this project, I felt like utilizing data resources could only be done effectively if the problem was already diagnosed or if there was a minute issue that I was looking for and wanted to know more about it. Furthermore, it helped me characterize non-profits such as Cristo Rey in a more classical business sense.
In addition to building my hard skills, this project helped me learn more about the students I have been working with. It has been hard to meet as many as I would like and get to know them on a personal level. Through learning about their struggles and successes at school, I have been able to meet more students and talk about their experiences with them. As I move further into the school year, I will be working on more projects focused around student success in their placements which will help me forge even stronger relationships!