Interview Conducted by Sophia Wu (Q18)
QUEST sophomore Manas Kulkarni bonds with Testudo
1) As one of the editors and writers for QUESTPress, what is your favorite part about being on the staff?
As I’m ironically the one who usually interviews students for the spotlight, I’m able to share great things my peers are doing with other QUESTees and even with QUEST alumni. And with other parts of QUEST, QUESTPress has encouraged me to learn new things – whether its a past 490 project’s effect on campus or all the great things I missed at QUESTCamp – and I’ve really enjoyed that.
2) If you had the opportunity and limitless resources to plan and hold a QUEST community event, what would it be?
A week-long luxury cruise down south, hands down. There’s nothing like getting stuffed, going abroad, and having a great time with some of your best friends in college. Realistic? Absolutely not. But I guess that’s not the point!
3) You recently won 2nd place at a marketing competition. Congratulations! Tell us a little about it.
Thank you! At the National American Marketing Conference, Northwestern Mutual sponsored a sales competition where students could “pitch” any product of their choosing. I picked “Clocky,” an alarm clock on wheels that rolls off your nightstand and around your room to physically get you out of bed. I desperately need it and thought it’d be fun to sell, and it seems the judges liked my presentation!
4) If you were stranded on a desert island and could choose one QUEST staff member to accompany you, who would it be and why?
If I can’t have the entire Quality Guild, I’ve got to have Dr. Bailey. Even if he can’t magically turn his bowtie into a helicopter, I’m sure he’d give me enough brain-twisting riddles that I wouldn’t even realize how long we’d be stranded until someone finally rescued us.
5) We are more than halfway through with the semester! What plans do you have for the summer?
I KNOW – I don’t want to be a junior yet! Anyways, I’ll be a Customer Development Intern at Unilever for the summer. I couldn’t tell you exactly what I’ll be doing – because each intern has their own project to work on – but it’s essentially a combination of sales and marketing. I’m pumped!
6) What words of advice would you give the new Cohort 19 students?
Be an overachiever. Make use of every opportunity under the QUEST umbrella that you can, because each one can benefit you – or your peers – in some way or another. And speak up. Ask questions. This program is student driven, and many important changes (like the remodeled QUESTLab) come from student feedback. I’ll be the first to lend an ear, and I can’t wait to see what you all achieve!