Since 2020, Snider Consulting Group (SCG) has supported over 25 on-campus clubs and programs by providing quality consulting services. Founded by QUEST alumnus Joseph Houghton (Cohort 34) and supported by a growing number of QUEST students, SCG continues to thrive, offering students invaluable real-world experience in consulting.
Sami Bouhussein, a QUEST alumnus from Cohort 37, is the creator of the RandezVous app. RandezVous finds and recommends activities and events for users, based on their location and interests. His QUEST journey started off with a random encounter. A conversation with a TA from his computer science class, who was in the QUEST program, inspired Bouhussein to explore his interests in business and computer science by applying to QUEST.
Sami Bouhussein (Cohort 37)
Mercer (left) and his Capstone team.
Two weeks ago, Homes for America, a non-profit affordable housing developer based in Annapolis, MD, closed its first project since Liam Mercer, a QUEST alumnus from Cohort 28, started a year ago. The project is set to work on rehabilitating a 154-unit community in Baltimore that has historically served the deaf and hearing-impaired population. I got the amazing chance to reach out to Mercer to talk further about his time at UMD and QUEST, as well as his life post-grad.
During his time as an undergrad at Maryland, he studied Operations Management & Business Analytics and Finance. He also completed a minor in Sustainability Studies and Real Estate Development. With so many diverse interests, Mercer sought out QUEST to join an interdisciplinary program that “was designed for all students to play valuable roles on each project team.” Mercer was also part of many different extracurricular organizations, such as Phi Chi Theta Business Fraternity, The Maryland Pride, Ballroom at Maryland, and Survivor Maryland.
Mercer dancing with Ballroom at Maryland.
Many of the skills gained through QUEST have been useful for his professional career. After graduating in 2019, Mercer worked on a 2020 presidential primary campaign, where his team was “always looking for creative ways to be as efficient as possible with our limited resources,” something that he learned during his time in QUEST.
At his next job as an analyst at RCLCO Real Estate Consulting in Bethesda, MD, Mercer was able to combine his business and real-estate development background to provide economic consulting services for real estate owners, developers, and investors. He recalled that the QUEST Capstone prepared him well for the client relations part of the job. “I liked the opportunities to use data creatively in an analysis,” he shared.
Mercer and his current boss submitting the LIHTC Application.
Currently, Mercer works at Homes for America as a development analyst. His work is focused on developing housing projects that are income-restricted and affordable within the Mid-Atlantic region. Excitingly, Mercer has led Homes for America’s application for competitive low-income housing tax credits, which would help to finance their developments in the state of Delaware. Mercer says that it was part of the company’s “major organizational goal to diversify where we work, and I was proud to have a leading role in the application.”
Being able to work with combating the affordable housing shortage within our country is an area that Mercer had previously worked on as an intern during his undergraduate years that he was excited to come back to. Looking back on his time at UMD, Mercer says that “one of the benefits of a large university is that there is an organization of like-minded people for almost everything.” Congrats to Liam Mercer on all of his success so far!
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!
One thing about QUEST students – we are all overachievers, both in and out of college! Two QUEST alumni were even included in the Terrapin Club 30 Under 30 Class of 2024 for having a major impact in their communities and careers while supporting the university and embodying Maryland Pride. I was able to connect with them about their journeys through college and where they ended up.
Bradley Polkowitz of Cohort 35 is a 2023 alumnus who majored in OMBA and Marketing. During his freshman year of college, he heard about QUEST through a member of Cohort 29 (David Rosenstein) and was instantly sold. He was especially excited since some friends were also applying with him. Polkowitz was interested in expanding his network and diversifying his skill set through hands-on learning, which is a main pillar of QUEST. During his time at UMD, Polkowitz was a busy man! He was the Founder of the Sports Management Program, Co-Founder and President of the Maryland Sports Business Conference, and President of the Sports Business Society. After graduation, Polkowitz ended up at the National Football League (NFL) where he is currently working as a League Sports Betting Analyst in their Rotational Program. When asked about his journey so far, Polkowitz said: “The most exciting part of my career thus far has been the impact I have had in the sports industry at both UMD and the NFL. Although I just graduated, I have left a lasting impression at UMD and played a pivotal role in growing the sports community on campus. It brings me so much joy seeing my friends and peers succeed in the sports industry. Similarly, with the NFL, it is so exciting to be around the game and learn from industry leaders. I am humbled and honored to have an opportunity to work for the NFL and mentor my peers along the way.”
Polkowitz and his BMGT490H team during the Cohort 35 QUEST Conference
Avi Kozlowski of Cohort 24 is a 2017 alumnus who majored in Finance and Accounting. His inspiration for joining QUEST was his older brother, who was also in the program and spoke highly of his experience. During his time at UMD, Kozlowski was involved with many clubs, including TAMID Investment Club, Hinman CEOS (Temporary) Business Honors, DUNK, UMD Hillel, UMD Chabad, and Real Estate Club. After graduating, Kozlowski began working at Greystone as a Production Analyst, where he has stayed for the last 7 years and risen to Managing Director and Loan Originator. When asked about his professional journey over the last 7 years, Kozlowski said this: “I’ve hit that turning point where I know the ins and outs of the debt financing industry and I’m able to help clients with their current debt structure and business plans, as well as guide them towards the best product for their needs.” In 2023 alone, Kozlowski orchestrated the financing of 76 loans totaling to approximately $1.2 billion, underscoring his unwavering commitment to excellence and substantial contributions to the real estate finance landscape.
We at QUESTPress want to give a huge round of applause to these amazing QUEST alumni for all they have achieved thus far. We cannot wait to see who joins the Terrapin Club 30 Under 30 Class of 2025!
This semester, Cohort 9 QUEST alumnus Dr. Fox Troilo is making his return to the University of Maryland to be the newest BMGT/ENES190H instructor! He is co-teaching the QUEST introductory course with Dr. Ben Huffman. I had the opportunity to chat with him about his past experiences and life post-college, as well as his reason for returning.
Dr. Fox Troilo
Over 600 people have been to space and accomplished QUEST alumnus Chris Huie-Spence (Cohort 15) is one of them! This month, QUESTPress had the pleasure of interviewing astronaut and aerospace engineer Huie-Spence, who is currently a Senior Manager of Business Insights at Virgin Galactic. He supports commercial strategy and corporate development, spanning the gap between engineering and business while enabling the executive leadership team to make data-informed decisions. We discussed everything from his passion for increasing Black representation in aerospace and leadership to his trip to Space.
Huie-Spence with Virgin Galactic owner Richard Branson
Huie-Spence, a member of QUEST Cohort 15, graduated from UMD in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. While at UMD, he participated in the Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center as part of the National Science Foundation’s LSAMP Undergraduate Research Program. He was inspired to pursue a degree in aerospace because he grew up obsessed with flying machines and understanding how things work. He also loved Star Trek which seeded his imagination for what the future could be like: a future that he could help create. Before joining Virgin Galactic, he worked at Bell Flight Engineering on various rotorcraft programs and as a simulation engineer developing flight crew training simulators. When he joined Virgin Galactic in 2016, he led the Flight Sciences External Loads Engineering discipline for six years. He is very familiar with Spaceship VSS Unity and Mothership VMS Eve and worked on nearly every component of the Spaceship and mothership design. He describes the coolest experience of his career being his trip to space! He served as a mission specialist on Unity 25, Virgin Galactic’s final test flight of Spaceship Unity, where they evaluated and recommended improvements to the customer experience before the Spaceship entered commercial service. He said the trip was “the coolest and most extreme experience… professional or otherwise. The whole experience is beautifully suspenseful, thrilling beyond your wildest dreams, and the most powerful and humbling human experience anyone can have.” He is motivated to make space travel accessible for more people to experience.
Huie-Spence on his spaceflight
Huie-Spence has done a lot during his career and has found that his greatest accomplishments span from technical accomplishments to leadership accomplishments. While working at Bell Labs, he derived the flight control kinematic equations for the Bell V-280 tiltrotor flight control computers that will become the future of Army aviation and certified Bell’s first full-motion pilot training simulator with Spain’s European Aviation Safety Agency. As a leader, he is proud of helping to establish Virgin Galactic’s Flight Sciences Department where he led different engineering disciplines, recruited talent, established both best practices and engineering processes. He is dedicated to increasing Black representation in the aerospace field and leadership, which is why he co-founded the Black Leaders in Aerospace Scholarship & Training (BLAST) Program. He is also a member of the Clark School’s Early Career Distinguished Alumni (ECDA)!
Huie-Spence with BLAST Scholars at their leadership summit
QUEST has had an important impact on Huie-Spence, complimenting his engineering background to become a better problem solver. QUEST has taught him the importance of focusing and understanding a problem first before just jumping in. The concepts of idealized design help him approach every problem, professionally and personally. QUEST also helped immensely with honing his communication skills, allowing him to communicate technical information with a non-technical audience. Specifically, he said Blue Ocean thinking was one of his favorite takeaways from QUEST as it provides a framework for innovation and invention. He wants future QUESTees to focus on the fundamentals of their chosen industry and never stop learning. Huie-Spence believes QUEST is a great preparation for the real world because engineering and technology are fueling a majority of the growth in business. He wants students to see how they can use the principles of QUEST to design their career and their life. Thanks to Chris for a great interview. We wish you all the best!
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.
QUEST alumni continue to amaze us with their accomplishments and endeavors. This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Coraggio, a member of Cohort 16, who has been very busy since graduating from Maryland in 2011 with his bachelor’s in Information Systems and Marketing. Most recently, he is the founder and principal coach of Potencia, an organizational coaching practice.
Chris Coraggio
After graduating from Maryland, Coraggio joined Teach for America then continued his education by getting a Masters in Education and going to Spain to receive a bilingual (Spanish) MBA. He thought he wanted to enter the HR world so he found a job with Citi in HR but wasn’t fully satisfied with it. He decided to take some time off traveling in Asia and discovered he wanted to incorporate education into his future career, wanted a career that felt fulfilling, and had an entrepreneurial itch that led him to obtain a certification in Executive Coaching and Leadership and start Potencia. He’s proud of pushing past any hesitancy and bringing his ideas to life. “I’ve historically just been really hesitant to put myself and my ideas out there for fear of what others think of me. And over and over again, I’ve pushed past fear to get this company to fruition,” he shared.
Coraggio is a full-time consultant now with SOL Digital but started Potencia as a side gig. He finds that the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing adults have their “aha” moments when they see themselves from a new perspective. “As a former teacher, I remember all the wonderful “aha” moments my students had in my math class,” said Coraggio. “Those “ahas” were really easy to come by, because students were learning new mathematical concepts, and it was pretty natural for them to learn to insights. With adults, it’s harder work to have somebody see themselves or a situation from a new perspective. So the “aha” moments are really special.”
He described a recent win where his coaching allowed a friend to discover a positive insight about why they were leaving their current city. The insight that leaving was moving forward led the friend to change his perspective on what’s up next. He thanks QUEST for instilling in him the importance of networking and community and his attitude towards quality and continuous improvement. He finds himself to be a lifelong learner and always striving to be a better coach. He also remembers “QUEST legends” like Dr. Suarez and Dr. Bailey teaching him to design for the future he wants and trust his instincts.
For anyone interested in coaching check out Potencia’s website here where Coraggio blogs about a variety of topics. He is also offering free coaching office hours to QUEST alumni and students on Wednesdays 4-6pm and Fridays 3-5pm now through January.
QUESTech, one of our seven student organizations, hosted a successful Alumni Panel on November 9th, 2023, featuring alumni from multiple technology specialties – Software Engineering (SWE), Product Management (PM), Data, and Engineering. Around twenty five students attended this hybrid event, which took place over multiple rooms, both in person and through Zoom, so students could move from room to room and explore several fields.
In the SWE room, there were four alumni. John McGahagan (Cohort 16), Ilan Gold (Cohort 22), Sophia Khezri (Cohort 32), and Ben Lin (Cohort 33) gave advice to current QUESTees on searching for internships and full-time positions at major software companies. Some advice included not putting too much pressure on your first job as it is only a small part of your career journey. Also, a quick fun fact: Ilan Gold shared that he was a founding member of QUEST Corporate!
In the PM room, alumni Andrew Lee (Cohort 23), Adam Sarsony (Cohort 29), Jacqueline Deprey (Cohort 30), and Kartik Krishnan (Cohort 31) shared their experiences in the industry. Krishnan mentioned the wide variety of work he does as a product manager at Microsoft. Currently, he is working on a project to update the Microsoft taskbar, located on the top of all Microsoft products!
In the Data room, Alia Abdelkader (Cohort 27) shared her experience working in the Congressional Budget Office. She plans on working there for a bit, as she is extremely passionate about the tax policy she works on. Abdelkader is considering a PhD in the future, possibly in public policy!
In the final room, Engineering, Joe Dadzie (Cohort 23) and Charles Grody (Cohort 29) discussed their work experiences in chemical engineering and manufacturing. Dadzie mentioned how he is ready to move back to his lab coat and work hands-on in his new project engineering role at ASR Group.
Samantha Taskale, Cohort 38 student and one of the co-leads for QUESTech, reflected, “The QUESTech alumni panel event was an amazing opportunity for QUEST students to explore possible career paths and build connections with our alumni network. We are very grateful for the alumni who took time out of their schedule to speak to the students and answer all of their questions.”