The involvement of a QUEST student doesn’t end after graduation. In fact, one of QUEST’s greatest assets is its vast alumni network. There are numerous ways for QUEST students to remain involved with the program after graduation. In fact, even within the QUESTPress community, alumnus Jacob Wilkowsky from cohort 19 continues to stay involved as our alumni advisor. QUEST also provides many other means of staying in contact with the program after graduation. Of these include joining the QUEST Alumni Board, getting involved in classes, and attending various alumni events around the country like happy hours and trivia nights.
One amazing way for QUEST alums to stay connected is through the QUEST Alumni Board (QAB). The 2017 Alumni Board Executive team comprises of Ricky Wilson (Q6), Josh Kohn (Q18), Karthik Menta (Q18), and Shirley Han (Q19) who are Chairman, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary, respectively. There are 22 alumni altogether on the board, and they are all responsible for hosting alumni events and staying connected to our program in various ways. If interested in getting involved, contact Ricky Wilson at Richard.Wilson@constellation.com.
Members of the QUEST Alumni Board at a recent QUEST Conference
Even students currently in the QUEST program have the chance to connect with our great alumni. Alumni visit classes and mentor students in various capacities. QUEST also hosts various events where students can build relationships with alumni. QUEST’s recent 25th Anniversary Gala was one instance where current students and alumni had the opportunity to meet and connect with each other.
QUEST has an intensive database that catalogs all current and past members of the program. This alumni database allows you to search for alumni based off of factors such as their majors and what companies they are currently with. Emails are also provided, so this is a great way to reach out to alumni who you think would be able to give you advice on the culture of a specific company or just what to keep in mind for as you pursue your major. Feel free to browse the database and make lifelong professional connections. Members of the QUEST community support each other. To access the database, contact Jessica Macklin at jmacklin@rhsmith.umd.edu.
Be sure to check out QUESTPress’s Alumni Spotlight articles. Students interview alumni and learn about how they managed to get to their positions, how QUEST helped them achieve what they have so far, and what input they want to give to the rest of the QUEST community.
Once students are accepted into QUEST, they are exposed to a diverse environment and are encouraged to get out of their comfort zones. As time goes on, those students begin to characterize QUEST culture by focusing on quality, professionalism, and teamwork in their lives. These qualities don’t end after graduation, and these values that we get from the program allow us to relate to and connect with members across all cohorts. I encourage current students to use our extensive network of alumni and see what they can learn, and I invite alumni to stay connected with our community by visiting our various events and social functions. To learn more about ways to get involved, visit our website.