QUEST student Noah Vernick (Q28) was recently selected for an award through New DayUSA for his efforts and leadership within the club, D4 Athletics, that he has been pioneering this past academic year. I had the chance to sit down with him to get his thoughts on being a recipient of this award.
1) Tell me more about NewDay USA and what the award is for.
NewDay USA is a mortgage company that is focused on supporting veterans. They also promote character driven leadership in companies, organizations, and universities. At UMD, they funded the NewDay USA Character Driven Leadership Award in which there were three categories: NewDay USA Character Driven Leader for Innovation, for Enterprise, and for Resilience. I applied for Innovation which should be awarded to the individual that has an optimistic, infectious vision for the future.
Noah (middle) with his award.
2) What allowed you to be selected for this award?
I applied because I believe that my club, D4 Athletics, is a perfect example of my leadership through Innovation. As a sports club, we hope to target students who do not play sports very frequently. All skill levels are welcome and the environment is one that breeds positivity. After being on campus and SGA-recognized for one year, we were starting to build a great presence on campus. It is challenging competing with intramural and club sports, but we hope to hit a larger audience by participating in philanthropy events such as our annual volleyball tournament, A Match for Karen, and our strong relationship with UMD’s Relay for Life. My efforts in building an organization to provide students opportunity to stay active and meet new people is what won me the award.
3) How has winning this award affected you moving forward?
Sometimes we are hard on ourselves and we do not take time to recognize the small achievements that lead to success. Receiving this award made me realize how far D4 has come and motivated me to keep growing the organization to leave it in great hands by the time I graduate next year. It is also nice to be recognized by people other than your family and friends for something you have worked really hard to accomplish.
Congratulations again to Noah Vernick for being selected for this honor, keeping the trend of emerging leaders within the QUEST community!