I was lucky enough to join QUEST’s first trip to New York City from November 13th to 14th. On Thursday, we boarded a bus from Van Munching Hall and headed into the city for two days of networking, learning, and immersive site visits, hosted by QUEST alumni.
Our first stop was Meta’s New York office. Hosted by Sophia Khezri (Computer Science, Cohort 32) and Annaika Taneja (Computer Science, Cohort 39), we enjoyed gelato before sitting down for a panel and Q&A with employees across data science, app development, and product management. Students asked questions ranging from essential technical skills and day-to-day responsibilities to work culture, past experiences, and how to begin tech projects without much background. The panel also touched on Meta’s work in AI, including its superintelligence labs, and how emerging technologies affect employees’ roles.
Milkii Dagne, a computer science major in Cohort 45, said she appreciated how the panelists emphasized the value of learning beyond the classroom. “They talked about how QUEST, personal projects, extracurriculars, and pure curiosity helped them grow their soft skills and get to where they are.”
After Meta, we headed to a Happy Hour and dinner at Yard House near Times Square with QUEST alumni who live in the New York area. We met alumni working across technology, consulting, government, and politics and heard about their career paths in an informal, supportive setting. Lena Chennat, a bioengineering major in Cohort 43, shared that the dinner offered a “more personal and easy opportunity to connect with people.” She added, “The fact that they showed up, were excited to talk to us, and freely offered advice was extremely supportive. I loved how open and honest they were about their career paths.” Chennat said one of her favorite conversations was with “a math major who pivoted into climate technology,” noting how reassuring it was to hear that “professionals change their minds many times, and that it’s normal.”
After dinner, groups of QUESTees split off to enjoy the night: watching Broadway shows, exploring city lights, and visiting holiday markets.
The next morning, we started early with breakfast at the hotel before walking to our visit at KKR, a private equity firm. Alumnus Pavan Rangachar (Finance, Cohort 20) hosted us in the Hudson Yards office, where we admired sweeping skyline views before a one-on-one Q&A session. Even for QUESTees without financial backgrounds, the discussion became a highly informative “crash course” in private equity, covering topics like debt, bankruptcy, and real estate.
For Sebastian Decady, a finance major in Cohort 41, Rangachar’s relationship-building advice made the biggest impression. Sebastian referenced a quote Rangachar shared: “When times are slow, make sure to connect with people and build your network.” Decady reflected, “That’s something I didn’t do enough. Now, even when I have positions lined up, I know to keep meeting people, finding mentors, and building connections.”
Kavin Seralathan, an information systems major in Cohort 44, agreed. Having also attended the Silicon Valley trip last spring, Kavin said this trip’s mix of tech and corporate companies helped him understand professional life more broadly. “I always saw these roles as so professional,” he said, “But talking to people in them made me realize it’s all about relationships. Not fake ones, but genuine relationship-building.”
We then walked across Hudson Yards to the BCG and BCG X offices, where QUEST alumna Celine Moarkech (Data Analytics in Biotechnology, Cohort 29) hosted us. After grabbing coffee and admiring views of New Jersey and Manhattan, we joined a panel of BCG consultants who spoke about client work, upskilling, navigating setbacks, and everyday challenges on the job.
Praneeth Oruganti, a computer science and math major in Cohort 46, said the practical insights stood out the most. “We gained valuable insight into navigating issues in corporate jobs which are things we wouldn’t have learned until we were actually in them. Now we know how to handle difficult conversations with clients or teammates, especially when we have opposing motivations.”
Seralathan added that the visit broadened his view of who can succeed in consulting. “Anyone from any background can get into consulting. We met so many engineers who transitioned into it. Even our host started as a pre-med. It made me feel like I, or anyone, could do it.”
After a tour of the office, we walked the High Line to our final stop.
Following lunch at Chelsea Market, we visited the Google campus, hosted by Ben Lin (Computer Science, Cohort 33). The visit included a panel featuring employees from global partnerships, applied research, program management, and software engineering. Afterward, Googlers led us on a tour of the building, including its game room and high-rise balcony, before we joined small-group discussions with employees.
Dagne shared that she enjoyed learning how AI fits into Google employees’ day-to-day roles. “They view it almost like an assistant,” she said. “Across the industry, there’s more and more of a push to use AI to augment jobs.”
Oruganti added that meeting the employees felt surprisingly approachable. “Talking to alumni and Googlers seemed daunting at first, but when we met them and put a face to the name, we got real insight into their lives. We realized they’re not very different from us. They just also have good jobs.”
The end of the Google visit marked the end of our trip. Reflecting on the experience, mechanical engineering major Naomi Miatudila (Cohort 42) said, “My favorite part about the trip was meeting other QUESTees and getting to talk to the Quality Guild outside of class. It was also cool to see companies I had never considered, and now I can see myself in.” She added that while the trip leaned heavily toward software-focused companies, she hopes to see more engineering-based visits in the future.
Finally, Madyann Saidi, a mechanical engineering major in Cohort 45, summed up a central theme he heard throughout the trip: “If you want to work in tech, it’s not just about hard skills. I talked to a PM who used to be in computer science and that helped her build trust with her team. But what mattered most was being a good teammate, being likable, and having people who want to work with you and for you. That’s what we need to develop.” The trip was an incredible opportunity for QUEST students. Thank you to QUEST staff members Jess Roffe, Emily Marks, and all the alumni who planned this amazing trip!