On November 12th and 13th, QUEST was able to commemorate the past 30 years with two major events: the QUEST 30th anniversary event on the rooftop of the Hotel and brunch at Busboys and Poets.
Author Archives: Andrew Sien
Alumnus Jeff Lue on Being the Change He Wants to See
Jeff Lue (Cohort 16) was preparing for a meeting with his boss a few months ago when suddenly it dawned upon him – he did this exact project in college. After pulling out his laptop and meticulously searching through old notes, he finds his QUEST presentation! During the meeting with his boss, the two laugh about how he ended up living one of his college dreams.
A Farewell to Program Manager Rachel DiDonna: Guest Article by Nakisa Rafiee
My name is Nakisa Rafiee, and I am a senior accounting and information systems major in Cohort 36 and first-time guest writer for QUEST Press. 😉 When asked by the Editors-in-Chief to write an article about Rachel DiDonna, Program Manager of QUEST, I became overwhelmed with bittersweet emotions. DiDonna recently accepted a new position as the Assistant Director for Smith Fellows Programs at the Smith Undergraduate Office, which she begins on October 24th. Like my fellow QUEST students, although I am sad to see DiDonna say farewell to the QUEST program, I am so excited to see where this new role takes her.
DiDonna, third from left, with the rest of the QUEST faculty and staff.
Cohort 39 Jumps into QUEST at Orientation
Written by Guest Author Jeremiah Samuel
Cohort 39 at Orientation
My name is Jeremiah Samuel, and I am a senior operations management & business analytics major in Cohort 36. This fall, I decided to become a mentor for Cohort 39, which meant I got to be involved with QUEST orientation for Cohort 39! Thanks to the QUESTPress Editors-In-Chief for inviting me to do a guest story. First, I will share what inspired me to become a mentor. I realized how much the QUEST Honors Program has given me in terms of experience: working with real-world clients, having the opportunity to network, and gaining professional opportunities. For example, I was able to network with PepsiCo at QUEST’s career fair during my sophomore year. I then had the opportunity to interview for their Kickstart Leadership program where I was able to gain a myriad of information on the company.
Alumni Corner: Blake Bonita (Cohort 21)
As a tour guide here at the University of Maryland, I always highlight the QUEST program. One of the first things people always ask is my favorite part about the QUEST program. My response never changes- the people that you meet in QUEST are not only driven, but they are also great people that will change the world. A QUEST alumnus that embodies this perfectly is Blake Bonita.
Bonita (third from left) with his 490H team at their QUEST Conference
Bonita was a member of Cohort 21 and graduated in 2016 with a degree in Accounting and Finance. Following graduation, he has traveled all around the world and worked at the White House, Deloitte Consulting, Marine Corps, and LinkedIn. Additionally, this fall, he will be pursuing an MBA at the Wharton School of Business. While he has been very successful in all his endeavors, the best part about him is his humility. It was clear from our interview that he has always stayed grounded and true to himself throughout all these experiences.
I was able to speak with Bonita about his experiences at Deloitte and the Marine Corps. Originally, he joined Deloitte because consulting offered diversity, working with a breadth of clients across industries. Each project Bonita worked on offered the ability to meet new people, travel the world, and tackle various issues. His experiences at Deloitte allowed him to develop a great skill set for identifying problems and developing solutions. Bonita mentioned that in this role, he used many of the skills learned in QUEST. Specifically, he said, “The ability to understand a problem, ask the right questions, think systematically, use data, propose solutions, etc. will always be useful, at work and in your everyday life. Long live QUEST.”
After leaving Deloitte, Bonita entered the Marines as an Infantry Officer and Rifle Platoon Commander out of a sense of service while also seeking a challenge. A surprising amount of what he learned in the classroom and in a professional setting applied while taking care of his Marines such as dealing with uncertainty. One lesson that he took away from the experience was summed up by the quote, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” He told me to always plan for everything, but if or when nothing goes to plan, the planning you did will prepare you best for whatever you encounter.
Bonita during his time in the Marines
At the end of our interview, he advised current QUEST students, “Take every experience as just that: an experience. There are good experiences and bad experiences, but every experience teaches you something. Certainly, cherish the good and move on from the bad, but don’t forget to reflect, understand, and learn from every experience. Having a positive and resolute attitude goes a long way towards happiness and success.”
Alumni Mentorship Program Off To A Strong Start In Year Two
QUEST Corporate launched a brand new alumni mentorship program last year to overwhelming success. Now in its second iteration, the program pairs current QUEST students with QUEST alumni in a one-on-one mentoring relationship.
“I LOVE Jess! We’re so similar and had a great first convo 🙂 Thank you for the pairing!” Jules Parra (Cohort 35) wrote in a feedback form after meeting with her new mentor, Jess Prom (Cohort 15), for the first time last month. When Parra and her mentor met, their relationship came so naturally, bonding over their career interests, QUEST experiences, and philanthropy. The hour that they scheduled went by before they knew it, and they were both ecstatic to see each other again. It is one of three meetings that they are required to conduct formally. However, based on their first two meetings, it sounds like this pair will have many more than that.
Jules Parra (Cohort 35)