Tailgating the QUEST Way: Food, Fun, and Connection

Between sizzling quesadillas and rounds of cornhole, QUEST students and alumni gathered for this year’s Homecoming tailgate. This event reminded everyone what makes the program special: genuine connection.

QUEST students and alumni socializing and eating quesadillas at the tailgate

Held on the day of the Homecoming football game, QUEST Social held a tailgate event featuring freshly-made quesadillas, games like frisbee and cornhole, and a chance to meet other cohorts and alumni in a laid-back setting. Noah Smith, Cohort 44, says he enjoyed playing games with others, especially cup stacking. “It was nice to see everyone gather around laughing, making jokes, and just playing games together.” For many students, this casual environment was a refreshing change from the professional tone of most larger QUEST events. “A lot of people join QUEST because of the professional environment. Everyone’s trying to achieve excellence. But when you come together outside of the classroom, it takes away from the stress of school for a little bit,” said Smith.

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Quality and Connection: Alumnus Shivam Agrawal’s QUEST to Build with Purpose

Shivam Agrawal (Cohort 31), CEO and co-founder of QualGent

For QUEST alum Shivam Agrawal, the pursuit of quality didn’t stop after graduation; it evolved into a company that uses AI to redefine how software is tested and built. Agrawal, a QUEST alumnus from Cohort 31, is the CEO and co-founder of QualGent, an AI startup whose mission is improving software quality through tests built with natural language.

After spending almost five years as a software engineer at Google, he realized he wanted more direct impact, greater autonomy, and control to build the product he believes the world needs: QualGent. The startup makes quality assurance more accessible and simple to app development teams and recently earned the backing of Y-Combinator. A core driving force of both Qualgent and Agrawal’s journeys is the pursuit of quality in software, work, and in life. This is especially apparent in Agrawal’s emphasis on surrounding himself with people he can learn from.

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