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
Nahom Tekle from Cohort 24 graduated from the Robert H. Smith School of Business in 2016 – but his impact is still here! One of his major accomplishments as an undergraduate student at Smith was participating in the Smith Business Academy (SBA), and he has come full circle, working to expand SBA to other schools today.
The Smith Business Academy is a student-run program for minority men within the business school. Based on national standards, minority men have a historically lower graduation rate, and SBA wants to overcome this. By following their founding intention – “Building men with distinction” – SBA focuses on creating a supportive community where personal and professional development is promoted.
Tekle speaking at a recent Smith Business Academy event
The QUEST Program has many benefits: learning opportunities, strong alumni network, and, surprisingly, romance! In fact, there are multiple QUEST alumni couples, some who even started to date during the program. We asked some of these couples to share their experiences in diving in and taking a QUEST for life.
Joshua Cocker, recently named a Keystone Professor at the University of Maryland, came from QUEST roots. QUESTPress writer Abby Wexler was able to chat with him about his journey from QUEST student to professor at the University of Maryland.
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.
Having just admitted Cohorts 39 and 40, it’s fitting to reflect on how QUEST has evolved over the years. I was able to talk to four different alumni, ranging from Cohort 2 to Cohort 29 about their experiences in the QUEST program. It was evident that while specific programming and courses may have changed, the same impact remains.
Vikas Majahan from Cohort 2 was a student in QUEST during the period it was under the IBM grant and was called IBM-TQ. For those unaware, the QUEST program was formed in 1992, with a 1-million dollar grant from IBM as a part of their Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative. Majahan entered the program as an engineering major, and QUEST helped him realize that while his skillset was analytical, he could also use those skills in accounting/business. Following his graduation, he began working as the Assistant Director of IT for the Smith School of Business. After leaving this role, he gained experience in tech and cybersecurity-focused roles at companies such as Microstrategy, PwC, AARP, and a cybersecurity consulting company called Likeminds Consulting. Majahan began working for the American Red Cross in 2015 and is currently the Chief Information Security Officer.
Vikas Majahan (Cohort 2)
During your college and early professional years, it’s common to feel that the career decisions made now are indefinite and will affect you in the years to come. While it’s important to prepare yourself to secure post-graduation plans that align with your goals, QUEST alumni themselves show that where you begin your career journey is not the end all be all. I was able to speak with 3 successful alumnae who have undergone career changes recently in order to learn from their journeys.
Mary Smith (Cohort 29)
The first alumna I had the pleasure of speaking with was Mary Smith, a member of Cohort 29 who graduated in Spring 2020 with a Mechanical Engineering degree. While in college, Smith got experience working in industry by interning at Oceaneering for two summers and a winter term. During her first summer with Oceaneering, her role was within Quality Engineering, but she completed her second internship within Mechanical Engineering. When considering post-graduation plans, Smith said that she knew that she “already had an established role at Oceaneering that she could jump back into” and that it would be an awesome first job. Thus, she accepted a full-time position and started as a Mechanical Engineer in July 2020. Unexpectedly, about a year after starting at Oceaneering, Smith’s engineering teacher from her high school approached her about an open teaching position. Smith explained that it was a very tough decision to take the teaching position because she “knew it was a dream job but didn’t want to toss aside a career in industry so early.” One of the deciding factors that went into her decision was that she knew that the school, Archbishop Spalding High School, was a great place to teach and she wasn’t sure if this opportunity would arise again.
Big Brother is watching you… or at least this was true for QUEST alum Derek Xiao this past summer during his experience on the national television show on CBS, Big Brother. Big Brother is a televised competition and reality television show based off of the concept in George Orwell’s novel, 1984, and the concept of “Big Brother.” Your average person is chosen to live in a house for a summer and participate in a variety of competitions to win power and advantages throughout the game, going through possible elimination as the show goes on. The house guests are constantly watched by “Big Brother” and under the decisions of the voice. There is a grand prize of $500,000 for the winner of the season. The game challenges people not only physically, but social skills are essential to winning the game.
Derek Xiao (Cohort 28)
Just like any other family, the QUEST program has several traditions that are passed down from generation to generation (or in our case, from cohort to cohort). Although our traditions may not include baking, fishing, or twelve grapes, they do include every single staff member and student who comes into QUEST.
Mark Nathanson (Cohort 20)’s 190H Team- QUESTimus Prime
For Missy Grace, a QUEST alumna and member of Cohort 1, the transition from working in corporate to working in coaching just seemed like the right next step. A cancer survivor herself, she now partners with the company One Village and offers Vigeo Coaching services for cancer survivors.
Alumna Missy Grace