Summer break is fast approaching, and that means diplomas are arriving! Students in Cohort 37 & Cohort 38 are enjoying these warm days and celebrating the end of the semester with senior pictures and DC brunches. I was able to connect with a few graduating QUESTees about how QUEST influenced their college careers.
Author Archives: akhanna4
Navigating the Product Landscape with Alumna Jacqueline Deprey
I had the opportunity to speak with QUEST alumna Jacqueline Deprey, who graduated in 2020 and now works for Dropbox. Deprey is a proud member of QUEST Cohort 30 and says she is still close to her BMGT/ENES490H team – Sign Sealed Delivered (SSD).
Sign Sealed Delivered (SSD) getting boba together.
Currently, Deprey is working as a Senior Product Manager at Dropbox, where she originally worked as a software engineering intern. When asked how she moved up to product manager, she mentioned how she was able to ask questions organically regarding product decisions (from QUEST!). This helped with her transition as it showed her interest in the product.
As a product manager, she is involved in the testing of new products. Dropbox uniquely tests products in-house. When they target a smaller firm (for example, a finance firm), they test the product with their own finance department. This allows them to creatively test their product in a parallel market to work out any issues. This way, they can analyze how products are used internally for accurate metrics to understand how it will work on the outside.
SSD team jumping for joy in Van Munching Hall!
Dropbox uses OKRs, objectives and key results, to measure their performance. This is really helpful when testing new products, as this process can determine how the product benefits the specific department in meeting its goals.
Currently, Deprey is working on a project called Dropbox Dash. This is similar to a search bar, except it will go through all the communications that you use to find the information you need. For example, if Deprey was looking for meeting notes for the month of February and she uses Outlook and Dropbox as her main sources of storage, this feature would allow her to search through all those drives. This project will be launched later in the year.
As a senior product manager, Deprey faces some challenges in her day-to-day life. All stakeholders involved in product development have different opinions and priorities. Product managers at Dropbox handle this dilemma by testing out their products in-house first. If dilemmas occur on the inside, they will only be magnified outside the company.
She also mentioned that transparency is important when it comes to juggling priorities. If her team’s goals are different than the goals of another group of stakeholders, they are still likely mutually beneficial. This realization increases cooperation between stakeholders for a brilliant final outcome.
SSD working on BMGT/ENES490H together in Van Munching Hall.
When asked about her experience in QUEST, Deprey mentioned that she learned how to think critically. Instead of just worrying about the problems on top, she learned to dig deeper into the underlying issue. This is something that has given her an edge and allowed her to become a Product Manager so fast!
Some advice that she has for current QUESTees is to take it all in. QUEST is a special place with fun and driven people. She also advises current students to be like a sponge in this program, since you can learn a lot from others and use it to better yourself. Finally, your peers in QUEST are like mirrors, they reflect your best qualities back to yourself.
So QUESTees, be like Jacqueline Deprey and find your mirrors in QUEST and soak everything in!
The Importance of Balance in the Life of Akshita Alousyes
If there’s one thing that I could say about Akshita Alousyes, it’s that she means business. I guess that’s perfect since she is a business major. But seriously, as an Information Systems and Accounting double major in Cohort 40, she is definitely busy. So, let’s see how she can prioritize commitments during the chaos of midterms and all the other stress that school can bring.
Akshita Alousyes (Cohort 40)
To start, she walked me through a typical day in her life. When first asked what a typical day looks like, she responded by saying “AHH, terrible,” giving a little chuckle. She enjoys her busy days, but she acknowledges that they can bring some stress and be overwhelming at times. Alousyes starts her day bright and early between 6-7 AM. Although her classes do not start until 11 AM, she likes to wake up early to give herself some time to get ready for the day and mentally prepare for what’s to come.
She notes that once she is out, she typically doesn’t come back to the apartment until the end of the day. Her classes typically end in the late afternoon, and she enjoys getting her work done in between classes. After her long day, Alousyes has her little “social hour.” This is the time she makes to meet up with her friends, call family, and just have some quality time with the people that she loves. Last but not least, Alousyes heads to meetings with her business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, or a rehearsal with her dance team here at UMD.
Although Alousyes appreciates her time with friends and loves to make the most of the clubs she’s involved in, she makes sure to dedicate some well-deserved “me time” at the end of the night. She’ll typically turn on a show and snuggle up in bed after doing her daily skincare routine.
Alousyes at the McKeldin Mall
When asked how she manages her busy schedule, she emphasized the importance of her health. “What I’ve noticed is that the days that I don’t sleep, eat, or exercise well, it ends up slowing me down. When I make time for those things, I feel like everything else just falls into place. I have the energy to do everything I need to, and my mood is so much more calm and positive.”
It was inspiring talking to Alousyes; she’s the definition of discipline and motivation while being a kind-hearted person. To close out our conversation, she shared an interesting fun fact: “This is gonna sound a little crazy, but I may have broken my foot when trying to do a TikTok dance…”
That’s Akshita Alousyes for you: a little bit crazy but always driven to get the task done, even if it means breaking her foot for it!
From Moon Mysteries to Space Exploration: The Journey of a NASA Co-Op Student
Did you know that the Moon has one of the harshest thermal environments in the solar system? Apparently, because of its lack of atmosphere, rotational period, and thermophysical properties, surface temperatures on the sun-lit side of the Moon can exceed 240℉. In contrast, temperatures on the dark side and in craters can plunge to -300℉! This is an interesting fact that I was unaware of regarding our Moon that I learned when interviewing Brian Langbein, a student in Cohort 40 who is currently doing a co-op at NASA.
Langbein is working at the Goddard Space Flight Center located in Greenbelt, MD. This location is centered around unmanned scientific missions – like the Hubble or James Webb Space Telescope. Currently, the QUESTee is working in the Thermal Engineering Branch on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, an infrared space telescope set to launch in 2027, tentatively.
Brian Langbein (Cohort 40) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Specifically, Langbein’s team works to ensure that the sensitive technology in the telescope can withstand the intense thermal loads experienced in orbit over a million miles from Earth. Since every piece of technology has a temperature requirement to be able to function properly, this is imperative to the success of the infrared telescope. His job is to run thermal simulations, analyze test data, and generate temperature predictions to fine-tune the team’s spacecraft thermal model.
Outside of his position, Langbein has the opportunity to talk with multiple professionals about their respective fields. It is a great way to learn more about space and the niche technology that goes into exploring it.
Langbein in protective equipment.
As for the future, Langbein hopes to continue his career at NASA and one day contribute to manned missions, such as the Artemis Project. This co-op is a way for him to learn and grow within NASA, so he can have an impact on as many NASA missions as he chooses to work on. Best of luck to Brian this semester as you complete your co-op!
Senior Samantha Taskale Reflects on her Journey Through QUEST
Hi all, my name is Samantha Taskale, a graduating senior majoring in Computer Science. As a proud member of Cohort 38, I’ve recently completed my capstone class, marking the end of an extraordinary chapter with the QUEST Honors Program.
In this reflection, I aim to share my journey through the program, from 190H all those years ago to my time in the final course, my rewarding role as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for the introductory course, and my recent contribution as a student representative at the capstone conference.
When I participated in 190H, three years ago, I learned so much about working with a team of students. And later turning those fellow students into friends. I also learned a lot about professional expectations: being true to your word and the importance of showing up for your team. 190H is meant to be a highly demanding class, the necessity to juggle outside work while also upholding expectations of excellence is meant to be a learning experience.
Pictured here is my 190H team, from left to right: Samantha Taskale, Odessa Howera, Lauren Gomes, Derreck Boateng-Agyemang, Ayman Bootwala
This semester, while going through 490H, I was one of the two TAs for 190H. Going through the introductory curriculum again with new students while doing my 490H class was an amazing experience. I’ve always loved teaching and doing it in such a hands-on, challenging, and practical environment was a joy. Planning lego activities on agile and just-in-time manufacturing were highlights of my semester. I also truly enjoyed imparting my knowledge of presentation skills and speaking presence. Seeing how the 190H students developed, learning about the program, and improving their processes was incredibly rewarding.
Discussing with my students at the QUEST Conference
A culmination point for me was seeing my students at our conference and discussing my completed project. Answering their questions and sharing as much knowledge as I could was a truly full-circle moment for me.
Going into 490H this semester, myself and my cohort shared a sentiment of anticipation. Throughout the program you are always told that this is one of the most important classes. The class is your opportunity to truly display all of your knowledge and development. Of course that always leaves room for let down when things don’t go quite as planned. But that in itself was also part of the process. Dealing with undecided scopes or clients is part of life and what shined in those cases was the support from our teams, cohort, and professors. Working with professor David Ashley as our faculty advisor this semester was truly a morale boost. When things got difficult or uncertain, we could rely on each other and Professor Ashley to uplift spirits and encourage the team to chug ahead. Ultimately, I am so extremely proud of the work my team completed this semester.
Following the completion of our project, the conference couldn’t have gone better. In the week leading up to it, my team, the rest of my cohort, and I worked tirelessly on our slides, posters, and speeches. I was also preparing my speech as the student speaker. It was tough to hold back my emotions in the first draft. I worked closely with Abby Bond, the speaker from last semester. Reflecting on our experiences together was a blast. In my speech, I focused on the importance of friendships. In 190H, we always emphasized the value of team members being friends, as it leads to better professional partnerships.
My speech at the QUEST Conference
My speech about the importance of friendships in the program was met with a lot of positive reactions. My cohort shared my sentimental feelings, and an alumnus even told me that my speech made him nostalgic for the program.
I hope to have had an impact on QUEST. The program and people have certainly had an impact on me. As a whole, I hope that for each team I was a part of, for each student I helped this semester, and each conversation I had, people have come away with a brighter outlook and more knowledge.
My advice to future students would be to ask the questions and show up. College is a cornucopia of opportunities and decisions. If you find something interesting, don’t be afraid to say so. I just happened to find QUEST interesting. If there is an opportunity that comes by and you are piqued with interest, don’t be afraid to take the first step, ask the first question, or shoot the first cold email. As QUEST’s assistant director Jess Roffe would say: “ABS” or Always Be Scoping.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue as a TA until the end of my time at UMD. I hope the future students enjoy and benefit from the program as much as I have. I hope to remain an involved alumna of the program following my graduation.
QUEST Alumni Work to Continuously Improve UMD
Within the University of Maryland’s Department of Information Technology, the Enterprise Planning Continuous Improvement Group (EPCI) consists of four team members who are actually QUEST alumni! This team is a QUEST hotspot as it is a consultation service that is provided for departments within the University. I was able to talk to two of the QUEST alumni – Emilyn Hyre (Cohort 34) and Bobby Fitzgerald (Cohort 21 – to learn about their positions at UMD and how QUEST has continued to stick with them post-college.
Site Visits Add Value to Cohort 38’s Capstone Projects
Currently, Cohort 38 is working its way through BMGT/ENES490H, the capstone course of the QUEST Program. Going on site visits is one of the best ways for teams to understand their clients and gain greater insights into the problem they are tasked with. I caught up with some of the 490H teams who have gone on site visits this semester to hear about what they’ve learned.
Let’s Give a Warm Welcome to Cohort 41
This August, QUEST orientation took place at Sandy Hill Camp and Retreat Center in North East, MD. We are excited to say that Cohort 41 has officially started their QUEST (pun intended).
Cohort 41’s first picture!
Alumnus TJ Falohun on Developing Medical Technologies to Help the World
TJ Falohun, Cohort 20, is an innovator, entrepreneur, and a well-rounded QUEST alumnus. He started his undergraduate career at UMD as a bioengineering major, with a strong interest in biomaterials and regenerative medicine.
TJ Falohun representing Olera at a conference
Toasting to Summer Memories: Highlights from QUEST’s Happy Hours
The QUEST program has created a great alumni network where everyone wants to get to know each other and enjoy reminiscing about their time in undergrad. This is strengthened every summer during the QUEST Summer Happy Hours.
QUEST in Baltimore, MD