To our dear QUEST community and loyal QUESTPress readers…

We are so grateful that two years ago, Andrew Jones of Cohort 26 entrusted us with the responsibility to lead QUESTPress. We, Kara and Celine, were just laughing about how we never expected that after just one year as QUESTPress journalists, Andrew would decide to promote us to be co-leads. Originally, the responsibility of keeping the QUEST community informed on current events seemed daunting. However, together we tackled a seemingly overwhelming task. Our experience – indescribable, but let’s try. 

It was definitely a process settling into our new role. We had a vision, but not necessarily an idea on how to execute it. From our first student organization fair until now, we have worked very hard to grow the size and talent of our team and to modernize QUESTPress. From introducing vlogs and TikToks to building in team bonding events, we have grown very attached to QUESTPress and our amazing organization.

When looking back at our time in QUESTPress, we agree that one of our favorite memories is our first meeting this school year. We decided to create teams within QUESTPress to focus on different aspects of the newsletter. For the first time, we were seeing this QUEST organization really act like it was a part of QUEST! To give an idea, our marketing team was creating countless polls and our vlogging team consumed an entire whiteboard while brainstorming ideas. Looking around the room, we were in awe – overwhelmed in the best way possible.

Unfortunately, our last semester as students at the University of Maryland was cut short. Although this caused a colossal shift for QUEST, going against its DNA that calls for in-person meetings and teams, we felt privileged to have the opportunity to keep doing what we do best: report on the happenings of QUEST through QUESTPress, but with a twist. Rather than cover one last QUEST conference or one last BitCamp, instead, we were writing about how to pass time in quarantine and accept our untraditional graduation.

Although we were the “co-leads” of QUESTPress, like anything, it took a village. We want to give a HUGE thank you to Jacob Wilkowsky of Cohort 19, our alumni advisor, for his guidance and support these past two years. Jacob, QUESTPress would absolutely not be what is today without your passion, energy, and insistence to get to personally know each of us. We also want to thank Jess Roffe, our program’s assistant director, for keeping us on track and maintaining the quality of QUESTPress, even in the craziest of times. Jess, your dedication to our organization and insight into all things QUEST have been the driving forces behind our articles. Rachel, QUEST’s program coordinator, has helped us to better lead and manage QUESTPress. Had it not been for your monthly student leader meetings, our stress levels would have been much higher!

We want to give a big thank you to our QUESTPress team! You have supported us from the beginning and made “leading” easy. Your talent shined through every article and without all of you, QUESTPress would not be the organization that it is! We’d like to give a special shout out to our webmaster, Rohan Mishra from Cohort 32. He has worked behind the scenes to make sure that QUESTPress went live each and every time. Rohan led in an area that we had no insight into, and we could not be more grateful for his expertise.

Finally, we want to give a very sincere thank you to the QUEST community. For being the inspiration for all our articles. For the opportunity to get to know you better with every interview. For the support as you opened up and read our newsletter every month. QUESTPress, you have been our outlet for the last three years. A space to write about almost anything and somewhere to be creative amongst an otherwise rigid course load. Thank you.

We put a lot of effort into transforming QUESTPress, but the greatest changes are yet to come. As QUEST continues to grow and innovate, we expect QUESTPress to do the same. We hope to look back in two, five, and even ten years time and see all the changes that have come to QUEST and QUESTPress. We feel very lucky to have a program that makes saying goodbye so hard, but we have no doubt that Christina Giovanazi from Cohort 31 will make an amazing new QUESTPress lead.

Although we are graduating, we are by no means parting ways from QUEST. “The two hardest things to say in life are hello for the first time and goodbye for the last.” Taking on QUESTPress was a challenging but rewarding experience and we cannot believe, or accept, that it is already over. So we won’t accept it. We are excited to serve as alumni and to support anyone and everyone however we can. Just remember, we are a quick message or email away.

So for one last time as students, thank you QUEST! 

Signing off with lots of love,

Kara Eppel and Celine Moarkech (Cohort 29)

Cue Memories by Maroon 5