Dear QUEST Community and QUESTPress readers,
As we send out our last issue of the school year, we wanted to write a special farewell and thank you for serving as your QUESTPress co-leads. First, we wanted to thank our dedicated readers. While we enjoy sharing stories about the QUEST community, they don’t deliver impact without the curiosity and support from all of our readers. It warms our hearts when our stories spark conversation in our community. We also appreciate all of the QUESTees that have been featured or interviewed for an issue – your passions inspire us all!
Tanu Kulkarni (left) and Heather Bacon (right)
Second, we wanted to thank our wonderful QUESTPress staff. This year, we took on an entirely new staff, and they were all so dedicated and willing to learn the second they joined our team. We’ve been proud to watch their writing skills grow as they develop their unique voices. They truly exemplify the qualities of compassion, creativity, and intellectual curiosity that we strive for in the QUEST community. Aside from the articles they write, our staff members have worked to establish a bond over the past year, making our meetings a breath of fresh air. We can’t wait to see how our staff continues to grow, especially under the leadership of our next co-leads, Sona Chudamani (Cohort 37) and Andrew Sien (Cohort 36)! Best of luck!
We also want to thank our QUEST staff advisor, Jessica Roffe, for all of the support she’s given us this past year. Jess continuously serves as an ear for news within the QUEST community, looking to uplift the accomplishments of both students and alumni. In addition, Jess always makes sure we are putting out the most polished version of our issues by providing edits and suggestions, which is not always an easy task. We also want to thank QUEST’s Program Coordinator Rachel DiDonna for bringing together all of the student organizations’ leaders to ensure collaboration and share best practices. Lastly, we wanted to give a shoutout to the other student organization leaders – you’ve all been a pleasure to work with and we’ll miss you all!
As our term comes to an end, we wanted to share some of our favorite QUESTPress memories and the impact they’ve had on us.
Heather Bacon, Cohort 34:
I joined QUESTPress in the fall of my junior year when Tanu convinced me by telling me how much fun it is. While I was hesitant to join as an upperclassman, the rest of the staff made me feel like I fit right in 🙂 One of my favorite QUESTPress memories was writing my first article about Cohort 12 alumna Amanda Nachman’s new book “Qualified” where she helps young adults realize their full potential and achieve their career goals. You can read the article here! As someone who felt lost about my career path at the time, I felt inspired by her journey and how she’s used that wisdom to help others. Over the years, I’ve found that interviewing alumni has been one of my favorite parts of QUESTPress – there is always so much you can learn through their experiences. In addition to the connections I’ve formed with alumni, bonding with the other student leaders has also been a highlight as a co-lead. I would always look forward to seeing all the student leaders at our monthly meeting. My favorite meeting was when we did a Trader Joe’s potluck!
Tanu Kulkarni, Cohort 34:
I joined QUESTPress in the fall of my sophomore year before I had even taken the introductory QUEST course (BMGT/ENES190H) after meeting co-leads Celine Moarkech (Cohort 29) and Kara Eppel (Cohort 29) at the QUEST Student Involvement Fair. Though I had no prior writing experience, Celine and Kara had me writing articles off the bat, allowing me to quickly find the fun in writing. QUESTPress was my first taste of the QUEST Community, and I am so grateful for the relationships I’ve formed through it. I’ve interviewed many students, alumni, and faculty throughout my time, and many of these interviewees have become friendly faces who I still keep in touch with. I couldn’t imagine my time at UMD without this fun, creative outlet and the team I worked alongside. Thank you for everything, QUESTPress!
Though this is our last issue, our chapter with QUESTPress is far from closed. We will always look fondly on the skills we gained and the relationships we formed. QUESTPress has never been a responsibility, but rather an outlet to express creativity and expand beyond our comfort zone. We hope that you all continue to remain curious and engaged within the QUEST community. We’ll miss you all.
Lots of love,
Tanu and Heather
Tanu Kulkarni (left) and Heather Bacon (right)