On March 1, 2019, finalists were chosen for the NewDay USA Student Leadership Awards offered by the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets in collaboration with NewDay USA. Among the finalists were five QUEST students, two of whom won the first prize in their award category. The awards honor student leaders who make positive contributions to society and distinguish students in one of three categories: Innovation, Enterprise, or Resilience.
Adam Hostetter (Q29) is a Finance and Operations Management & Business Analytics double major with a minor in Actuarial Mathematics. Adam was awarded the first place Enterprise award for championing collaboration and positive outcomes in teams. He spent his sophomore year working as the student Co-Director at the Snider Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE). He was focused on helping the young program build a strong community and implement program initiatives that would foster co-learning and academic rigor. While brainstorming about his ideas for SURE, Adam drew inspiration from the people in QUEST and its strong sense of community. Adam’s advice to younger cohorts is “never neglect the relationship you have built and keep your communities strong. Sometimes you don’t realize the small things people can do to reshape you or even how much you are impacting and influencing others.”
David Rosenstein (Q29) is a Marketing and Management double major who was also awarded the Enterprise award. David is very involved on campus and can often be seen around Van Munching Hall or in the QUEST Lab. Right now, he is leading a cross-functional team of the Maryland Marketing Association. He is also a campus tour guide, a Smith Ambassador, and involved in Jewish life at UMD. According to David, “QUEST was really pivotal in a lot of ways. It introduced me to a lot of really dynamic people.” He found a key takeaway of QUEST is learning what a perfect team member looks like and how to adapt to different work environments and team dynamics. His advice to younger classes, “For me, what’s been really pivotal in helping to define my leadership style is viewing every leadership role as an opportunity to be a better team member. Whether you’re a team member or the president, it’s important to be egalitarian and be relatable and accessible to everyone on your team.”
Jacqueline Deprey (Q30) is a Computer Science and Operations Management & Business Analytics double major. She was awarded the Enterprise award for her work in the Gemstone Honors program as a financial liaison for a research team. She established relationships with UMD alumni to raise money for a research project which aims to create an augmented reality assistive device to help children with learning disabilities. Not only did she raise enough funding for her project in less than 24 hours, but she set the honors program record for the largest contributed sum in that timeframe. According to Jacqueline, “QUEST taught me the importance of empathizing with the customer and hearing their insights to drive the ideating process.” Her advice to younger cohorts looking to maximize their experience in QUEST is, “soak it all in! QUEST throws a lot at you in a short period of time, but try to absorb everything you can from not only the Quality Guild but also your classmates since you never know what may be applicable to your own life down the line!”
Michael Khizgilov (Q29) is a Finance major who was awarded the first place Resilience award for embodying integrity and a growth mindset. Michael is heavily involved in finance recruiting and mentors freshman and sophomores through the process. He has overcome a number of personal challenges and enjoys having the opportunity to give back to his community and the younger students at UMD by helping them overcome their own challenges. Michael says his experiences have helped him learn how to apply his skills, education, and resilience to various situations outside of the classroom. Through QUEST, he has met a number of other driven individuals and loves the opportunity to work on a team to complete relevant and interesting projects. His advice to underclassmen, “Don’t be afraid of change. College is a very big opportunity to learn and grow personally so take advantage of it and figure out what drives you.”
Eitan Isser (Q32) is a Marketing and Operations Management & Business Analytics double major who was given the Resilience award. On campus, Eitan is a project manager in the consulting track for TAMID, a business club that specializes in consulting for Israeli startups. He also hosts weekly group seminars and study groups on various topics in Jewish studies for Maryland Hillel. Balancing these activities alongside his schoolwork and growth-oriented mindset has helped him develop a stronger sense of resilience. Eitan credits QUEST with giving him access to a network of talented students and experiences that have helped lead him to opportunities such as the NewDay USA award. According to Eitan, “My biggest advice to fellow QUEST members is to really make time on a daily basis to introspect and recognize the immense talent and skill that you have to provide for the world. It really works!”
Congratulations to all the recipients of the New Day USA Student Leadership Awards! We wish them the best in their future careers and look forward to seeing their accomplishments throughout the coming years.