Category Archives: QUEST News

QUEST Lends a Hand to the Purple Line

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By: Anusha Dixit (Q31)

The disruption of Campus Drive starting this past fall was hard to miss – from the switch to one-way traffic to roundabout sidewalk routes for pedestrians. This currently omnipresent disruption is the result of the Purple Line, set to open in fall 2022 and connect both the campus and surrounding areas to the rest of Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. It will streamline commuting between the two counties and impact on-campus transportation patterns significantly.

At first glance, it’s hard to tell how this has anything to do with QUEST. What does a new light rail line, opening in three years, have to do with students currently in the program?

Enter 490H. This semester, Cohort 29 students are taking the QUEST Capstone Professional Practicum course, BMGT/ENES 490H, applying and enhancing all the skills they have learned in their time in QUEST to provide recommendations to corporate clients. The results of these projects all have significant stakes in the real world, impacting organizational structure and future plans at an essential level.

Cohort 29 students Puneeth Bikkumanla, Michael Khizgilov, Sasha Miller, Mary Smith, and Kelli Webber, collectively Team [Kim]ley Possible, are working with Kimley-Horn, a planning and design engineering consulting firm, for their capstone. The project involves providing Kimley-Horn recommendations for alternative transportation options over the next 20 years at the University of Maryland. This involves taking into consideration planned changes in transportation, such as the Purple Line, as well as developing technologies that will likely become significantly more important in the next few decades, such as self-driving cars and foreseeing how these additions will affect any predictions made.

I spoke with Sasha Miller about her team’s work thus far in the semester. Already, the application of skills learned in previous QUEST classes is tangible. “The whole project involves analyzing large amounts of data and creating predictive models based on the information that we gather, which are concepts covered in both 390H and in the data analysis class, 438A,” she said. On working with the client, she reports: “Working with Kimley-Horn is great! Our project champion Mike Shindledecker is a QUEST alumnus so he is very excited and eager to work with our team.”

One of the great challenges of 490H projects is ensuring the clients’ needs are met and this team is going above and beyond to ensure this happens. One of their primary challenges is accounting for all of the different user groups on campus (i.e. staff, commuters, cyclists) in their models. “Our team really wants to give predictions and recommendations that will better the campus not only for students, but everyone on campus, which is an ambitious goal, but something we really hope to achieve,” says Sasha. This project holds a uniquely relatable component for the team, affecting the Maryland community at large and requiring the team to consider the student perspective at close range. One of the most interesting aspects of the project is its relevance to the Maryland community and the opportunity it provides to better the campus for students.

Cohort 29 will be presenting their 490H projects at the QUEST Conference on May 9, 2019. Make sure to come out and see the thrilling final recommendations from [Kim]ley Possible and the rest of Cohort 29!

Winter Break: QUEST Style!

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Would you rather be sitting by the fire, drinking hot chocolate, and staring out of the icy window of your snow-coated ski lodge? Or, would you prefer lounging lazily on the beach, book in hand, working on perfecting your winter-tan? I know what I would rather do – but let’s see what the QUESTees did on their winter breaks!  

Jack Sturtevant (Q29)

Jack Sturtevant, Q29, was still studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark during his winter break. Jack said, “I went to so many Christmas, or as the Danish call it Juul, markets during winter break. I remember walking down Nyhavn, Lagkagehuset cinnamon roll and tea in hand, looking around at all the colorful houses. I didn’t want to go home!”

Olivia Wolcott, Q30, went on a cruise with her family and friend to Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City, and Cozumel! “My favorite part was in Belize City where they picked us up from the cruise ship in a small boat and took us out to a tiny island called Rendezvous, which bordered a barrier reef. We went snorkeling off the coast of the island – it looked like a saltwater aquarium! I had never seen such beautiful fish or live coral in the ocean before! It was definitely a winter break to remember!”

Olivia Wolcott (Q30)

Puneeth Bikkumanla, Q29, flew home to Hyderabad, India during break and went on vacation to Bali and Singapore! “My favorite part of the vacation was Bali. What I liked most about Bali was how it was relatively untouched by technology. This allowed for some really amazing experiences such as visiting a temple on the side of a volcano, taking surf lessons, and going white-water rafting for 10kms. Back at home in Hyderabad, I reconnected with my roots by visiting historic landmarks such as the Charminar, meeting family and friends, and of course, eating lots of biryani!”

Puneeth Bikkumanla (Q29)

Garrett Allen, Q27, went to California this winter break! “My three friends and I left the cold Maryland weather for a week and flew to Carlsbad, CA, which is just on the outskirts of San Diego. We went on some beautiful hikes – the scenery was definitely my favorite part. I also had a great time surfing at the beaches.”

Garret Allen (Q27)

Dr. Bailey said, “During winter break, I went up to Massachusetts where my sister lives to spend time with my family. Also, I chaired the search committee to bring on QUEST Program Coordinator Rachel DiDonna.”

Both the faculty and students of QUEST seemed to have an eventful break! While we all enjoyed those five, worry-free weeks, it’s now back to work! Only three more weeks until spring break!

Diving Deeper into Innovation at the 3M Site Visit

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One of the important components of the QUEST experience is the opportunity to learn in unconventional ways. QUEST students were fortunate enough to get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit 3M’s Innovation Center in Washington, D.C. on October 19, 2018. This visit was organized by the QUEST Corporate student organization with help from Dr. Christina Elson and QUEST Program Manager Jessica Roffe. 3M is a multi-national corporation operating in the fields of industry, health care, and consumer goods. It has operations in more than 70 countries and has been in business for 116 years.

The visit was action-packed. The group first heard from Rory Yanchek, VP and GM of 3M Government Marketing – Sales, and Holly Chapman, DC Innovation Center Host, who taught them about 3M’s history and current impact by using science to change the world. Holly and Michelle Woodard, the DC Innovation Center Manager, then gave the group tours of the innovation center where they learned about the amazing innovations by 3M in many product lines. The information gave the students many ideas about how the skills they develop in QUEST can aid them in the future. Senior Michael Vetter (Q28), who helped organize the visit, said, “The talks were great as we explored how we can really utilize our knowledge from QUEST and apply it to the real world.”

The most popular part of the visit was a virtual reality simulation where the students got to test the difference between road signs that used 3M technology compared to those that did not. Michael’s personal favorite was learning about the different technologies that utilize optics to change how we perceive light and recognize objects to make a difference in our lives. Innovations like these are what the center has been built to showcase and help express the work that 3M has done over the years.

3M certainly made an impression on those visiting. Michael mentions that what he took away from the visit is that he would definitely be interested in working at 3M in the distant future because the company is so unique in its application of materials science and its flexibility between so many industries. He thinks, “The people truly care about the world and society, while developing products that reflect that.” A ringing endorsement like that speaks volumes about how impressive the Innovation Center must’ve been.

By all accounts, this site visit was a fascinating experience and created memories to cherish for everyone involved. It was an ideal mix of learning with fun and helped interested students learn some details on how a company like 3M pushes the boundaries of innovation further.

If you’re interested in inviting QUEST students to visit your company, please contact QUEST Program Manager Jessica Roffe at jroffe@umd.edu.

 

QUEST Student and Alumna Team up after Capstone

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Creating a successful startup is no easy task, yet there are several QUEST alumni who have been able to solve problems they are passionate about by creating their own company. A couple examples include Kanchan Singh (Q17), who started a cat café in D.C. called Crumbs and Whiskers, Sahil Rahman (Q17), who co-founded Rasa, an Indian restaurant, and Allan Nicholas (Q20), who created a startup called Sweet Buds that sells scented earring backs that release perfume throughout the day. This article, however, will follow the story of Kajal Pancholi (Q7) and how her aerospace and systems engineering firm, Avatar Technologies, grew and eventually came back to QUEST.

Kajal Pancholi has stayed connected with QUEST even after her graduation. She had sponsored several QUEST Capstone projects through her previous employer, Millennium Engineering and Integration Company, but this time she decided to reach out to partner with QUEST so a team of 490H students could help Avatar Technologies become an ISO 9001 registered company. Kajal said she needed “bright, hardworking, and innovative individuals to augment [her] team and develop tailored quality management tools & techniques for the company’s operations,” and she believed it would be a perfect project for QUEST. Students Dennis Chen, Taylor Joyce, Julia Roh, and Devin Rosen from cohort 27 came together to implement an ISO 9001-compliant Quality Management System so that Avatar Technologies could gain a competitive advantage in its field.

One student on the team, Devin Rosen, really enjoyed working with Avatar Technologies during his time in 490H and consequently returned to Avatar for a summer internship. Devin learned many aspects of technology entrepreneurship and enjoyed his time learning about Avatar with his team and wanted to be able to continue helping Kajal make an impact by getting Avatar Technologies an ISO-9001 certificate. Devin said that there were several differences between working with his team and working with Kajal over the summer, and mentioned that “the biggest difference was going from a group project to an individual endeavor [he] could turn into [his] own.” He also said that he had to absorb a lot more information about the company and about ISO-9001 since his teammates weren’t there to bounce ideas off of over the summer, but that Kajal was a great help in guiding him and teaching him the ins and outs of the Avatar business.

Kajal and Devin represented Avatar Technologies at the QUEST Networking Event in September

Being a math major, Devin mentioned that he was able to utilize his critical thinking and problem solving skills when assessing Avatar’s regular business operations in order to optimize process interactions and design the Quality Management System itself. He wants to tell QUEST students that regardless of the project or the major, people will be appreciative of hard work. He mentioned, “QUEST students make significant impacts” in 490H, and that the class itself encourages students to ask as many questions as possible in order to filter ideas and uncover effective solutions. He also wants to emphasize that students are capable of learning more than they think. After being assigned to his 490H project, Devin said he “learned a lot about ISO-9001 quality management system and that it was nice to prove to [himself] that [he] can jump into something completely foreign, learn all about it, and come up with impactful recommendations.”

Kajal was very appreciative of the work that the team did during 490H and the work Devin did during his time at Avatar since now the quality management system is in place and that all there is left is to call an auditor to get Avatar Technologies certified. She said that there are many benefits working for a smaller scale company for the 490H project since the work students do create a very meaningful impact on a large scale. She also mentioned that “Working with the QUEST students and Devin was both professionally and personally rewarding,” since the project brought back memories of Kajal’s own QUEST experiences and she was able to “use that QUEST knowledge and lessons to be a better-engaged and more resourceful project champion for the student team.”

 

 

Cohort 31 Takes QUEST Camp

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By: Anusha Dixit (Q31)

Blinking into the early morning sun on the way to Van Munching Hall, clutching sleeping bags
and backpacks, the anticipation in the air was tangible as Q31 prepared to leave for their new member
orientation at Camp Letts in Edgewater, MD. Upon entering the meeting room, everyone mingling with
both familiar and new faces, it finally felt like QUEST had begun.

The first day began with icebreakers galore, leading into everyone’s most anticipated moment: finding out the teams for 190H. Following the first team meetings with the mentors, the students delved into even more icebreakers and team-building activities, ranging from improv acting and dancing, all the way to low-ropes courses.

“After improvising in front of each other and completing obstacles that brought us physically close together, we got used to embarrassing ourselves in front of one another,” said Grace Zhang (Q31). “We became instantly comfortable with the cohort.”

Between odd dance moves and coordinated balancing on wooden beams, it felt just like summer camp. Yet, between camp meals and bonding activities, teams came together to develop a two-minute product pitch for a pilot product of their choosing, as well as to select a team name to introduce to the rest of the cohort that evening. After spending a majority of the day together, actively building trust and comfort with one another, brainstorming for both came naturally to the teams.

“Everyone is so nice and supportive of new ideas!” said Varsha Ramachandran (Q31).

That evening, the students performed hilarious skits to introduce their QUEST-themed team names: LudaQUEST, the InQUESTibles, We the QUEST Music, among many others. After countless laughs, the students enjoyed s’mores around the campfire, and learned about the mentors’ best memories of QUEST; a satisfying end to a productive day. Teams met up soon after the campfire to finalize their product pitches for the final presentation, nervous yet excited to present their unique ideas.

The culmination of Q31’s very first team project in QUEST took place around picnic tables, in front of the teams’ mentors and the Quality Guild. A wide range of creative products were presented, and each team learned a great deal about the QUEST way of presenting. Upon completing the presentation, the students of Q31 were officially ready to embark upon their QUEST experience!

The students proceeded to the zip line and high ropes for a final hurrah before heading back to campus. After a day and a half at Camp Letts, Q31 returned with great memories, new friendships, and a deeper understanding of what QUEST is all about. QUEST is full of creative thinkers from unique backgrounds and being able to get to know one another before classes began made the prospect of working together for the next few years all the more exciting. The best is yet to come!

The Beauty of Open Barre and Following Your Passions

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Lauren Filocco (Q17) did not always see herself operating a Barre Studio out of College Park, MD. If you had asked her about her plans for the near future a couple years earlier, she might have expressed interest in moving up the pipeline at McCormick and continuing down the path of a procurement specialist. That might have been the decision one would have expected her to make, but all it took was a Groupon for a barre class to change her entire perspective on life, career goals, and happiness.

Before barre and McCormick, Lauren was working operations at Amazon in Middletown, DE immediately after graduation. It was not the most glamorous role, but she learned a lot and was able to leverage her QUEST connections and secure a role at McCormick a couple years later.

At McCormick, she worked primarily on the negotiation side and handled procurement discussions with different suppliers. Looking back on her time there she laughs, considering the fact that her mother always said her penchant for arguing made her a perfect fit for the role.

While she was working at McCormick, she decided to buy a Groupon for a barre class with her mother. Before she knew it, she was spending all of her time after work at the studio and jumped on the opportunity to take other classes after the Groupon ended. As she began to spend more and more time at barre, it slowly dawned on her that even though she loved McCormick, barre was something that could truly fulfill her passions.

She discussed the idea of opening a barre studio with her fiancée and worked on a business plan with studio owners that she had come to know during her many classes. Her colleagues at McCormick were incredibly supportive during the entire process, allowing her to remain on the staff as a contractor during the period of turbulence brought about by the opening of her studio.

In February 2017, the studio finally opened, and she had a new challenge that was equal parts frightening and exciting. When asked about her biggest takeaway from her journey, she said, “I thrive on the little successes. When a client tells me that their son hugged them and felt how hard their stomach was I know it’s because they’ve been taking my classes seriously, and I know that no matter how small I’m contributing to making the world better and making people feel better about themselves.”

Last month, Lauren hosted an open barre session for the QUEST community that was very well received. A few choice quotes are listed below:

“I liked the studio a lot. It had a welcoming, homey vibe. Also, my thighs burned like they’ve never burned before.” – Alex Malek (Q25)

“I love group fitness classes and thought it would be a fun way to interact with the QUEST community outside of the usual classroom setting.” – Kayla Sukri (Q25)

“The instructor always had a smile on her face! Even when we were doing some really demanding routines she was super bright and full of energy. It helped me get through with a smile on my face by the end.” – Edward Morozov (Q25)

It’s clear that Lauren has found her passion and is quickly impacting her community in the best way possible. Her advice to those still figuring things out is to think about what you enjoy outside of work. If there’s a way to turn it into a career, then you should at least consider. Don’t restrict yourself from pursuing your passions without thinking about it first!

QUEST Students and Alumni Meet for a Night of Bowling

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By: Olivia Wolcott (Q30)

QUEST Corporate’s Bowling with Professionals Event took place on April 16th at Lucky Strike in DC.  The event consisted of casual networking between QUEST students and alumni in a fun environment. Alumni represented companies including Accenture, Applied Predictive Technologies (APT), Deloitte, UMD’s Division of Information Technology, Export-Import Bank of the United States, and Streetsense Consulting.

One alumnus stated, “I thought this was a great event. It was a fun way for alumni and students to connect, and it was based in DC which was very convenient for alumni!”

Students (including Olivia second to the left) enjoying their time bowling!

We encouraged casual conversation and didn’t have much of an agenda for the event. Of the students who responded to the feedback form, all selected that they were very satisfied with the event and added that their goal in attending was to both network with alumni and to increase interaction within the QUEST community.

Overall, it was a wonderful way for students and alumni to connect in a relaxed setting, and there was a great turnout of both students and alumni. We look forward to hosting more in the future!

QUEST Well Represented at Innovate Maryland

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On April 11th, 2018, The Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship hosted their annual Innovate Maryland event. The event recognizes innovative and entrepreneurial students from across campus and almost 30 QUEST students were nominated for this year’s awards. We were able to interview four QUEST students who were nominated and attended the event!

How did it feel to be nominated for Innovate Maryland?

Chineme Obiefune (25): It felt cool to be nominated. I was invited because I participated in the QUEST/IBM Design Challenge last semester so it was pretty unexpected but very much appreciated.
Bryan Varghese (26): It was great to be nominated for Innovate Maryland! I didn’t know what Innovate Maryland was before being nominated, but I glad was nominated. It felt nice to be recognized for my accomplishments in the IBM Design Challenge.
Chloe Berman (Q26): I was actually surprised to be nominated to attend Innovate Maryland. I know we get to do some pretty cool work as a part of QUEST, but I guess I never quite realized how the work we were doing could be seen as innovative. However, I was very excited to be able to attend this event.
Brianna Ho (Q29): Being nominated for Innovate Maryland was honestly a surprise. Having been nominated for a project (IBM Design Challenge) that was finished several months ago, it was nice to get back in touch with my other team members after a while and meet up with them again.

How did it feel to be amongst other distinguished students and faculty?

Chineme Obiefune (Q25): There were a lot of really cool startups there so it was inspiring to be around so many people that were pursuing their passions. I could tell that they were all serious about making a difference and changing lives.
Bryan Varghese (Q26): It was a great way to interact with other distinguished students and faculty. I felt honored to be included among these really accomplished and passionate students and faculty.
Chloe Berman (Q26): It felt very special to be surrounded by such distinguished students and faculty. I was impressed to learn about all the innovation happening in the community around me, so much of which I had no idea existed. It is inspiring being in an environment full of such talented, driven individuals, and it inspired and encouraged me to continue looking for ways to be innovative in my future.
Brianna Ho (Q29): The whole environment of the event was also pretty unexpected and honestly much fancier than I’d thought it’d be. Being surrounded by all of these great startups and being able to mingle with not only students but also professors and faculty was a nice experience. The entire ambience of the place just fostered a feeling of wanting to do something.

What was your favorite part about the event?

Chineme Obiefune (Q25): My favorite part was the showcase portion where you got to see the different startup founders and talk to them about their work.
Bryan Varghese (Q26): My favorite part about the event was talking to the different startups. It ranged from multiplayer VR video gaming companies to drone building companies. It was so diverse, and it was interesting to understand how they started and made it to where they are today.
Chloe Berman (Q26): My favorite part of the event was being able to speak to colleagues from various programs I am either currently in or have participated in at my time at Maryland, as well as meeting new people and learning about how they are innovating here at Maryland.
Brianna Ho (Q29): My favorite part of the event was actually watching the awards ceremony. Seeing what was going on around campus and how innovative these students and faculty were being right under my nose was so surprising. The videos they played demonstrating each project were awesome.

How did it feel to have so many other QUEST students there with you?

Chineme Obiefune (Q25): It was nice to know that QUEST students are so involved in the innovation spaces on campus. It definitely made me feel proud to know that the program contributed to the entrepreneurial mindset at Maryland.
Bryan Varghese (Q26): I was really proud of QUEST for having so many students at the Innovate Maryland event. The most surprising thing was that half of the QUEST students weren’t invited because of QUEST, but because of other activities like challenges, running their own courses, EIP, and so on. It just shows how active QUEST students are throughout UMD.
Chloe Berman (Q26): I loved seeing how well QUEST was represented was at the Innovate Maryland event! QUEST has been such an amazing program, and it was rewarding to see so many of my peers amongst those who are driving innovation at UMD.
Brianna Ho (Q29): Seeing them around just brought me joy because it reminded me how great and impactful the QUEST community is.

How has QUEST helped you be innovative and/or entrepreneurial?

Chineme Obiefune (Q25): QUEST has instilled a design thinking mindset in me that pushes me to understand the people around me and gather insights to solve the problems that impact them.
Bryan Varghese (Q26): QUEST has definitely taught me to be more innovative. I have learned about different perspectives, different brainstorming techniques, and different management skills. This not only helped me throughout the QUEST curriculum but within my academic and professional career.
Chloe Berman (Q26): QUEST has especially helped develop my skills and capabilities when it comes to being innovative and entrepreneurial. Through QUEST, I was provided the tools and knowledge to be able to tackle problems with a new mindset and to provide uniquely innovative solutions to even the toughest challenges. My entrepreneurial abilities have also been expanded through real-life product innovation challenges and through QUEST alumni who have come back and spoken about their entrepreneurial endeavors.
Brianna Ho (Q29): QUEST for sure has helped me be more innovative and entrepreneurial. I’m nearing the end of 390H right now, and it’s only added to my toolbox that started in 190H. So many concepts that were covered ranging from empathizing with your market to building a business plan are topics that I always keep in mind when starting a new project.

Congratulation to all the QUEST Nominees!
Sam Lewando (26)
Chloe Berman (26)
Alyssa Hu (26)
Bobby Ellett (25)
Conor Casey (27)
Timothy Chen (28)
Cameron Harner (25)
Varun Mohan (28)
Jeffrey Zhao (28)
Chineme Obiefune (25)
Jordan Steiner (26)
Bryan Varghese (26)
Brianna Ho (29)
Adam Sarsony (29)
Kyle Su (30)
Colin SyBing (30)
Derek Xiao (28)
Ankit Sheth (29)
Mingkai Xu (27)
Lauren Kim (30)
Sameera Polavarapu (27)
Didac Hormiga (28)
Brooke Nesselt (27)
Conrad Hong (27)
Adam Hostetter (29)
Didac Hormiga (28)
Brian Freeman (27)
Chad Simon (30)
Meena Sengottuvelu (28)

Dr. Suarez’s Book featured in The Washington Post Bestseller’s List

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Recently, Professor J. Gerald Suarez was featured in the Washington Post Bestseller’s List for his book Leader of One.

In the era of “analytics,” Dr. Suarez reminds us of the wisdom in the maxim, Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts[1]. “How can we effectively measure passion, desire, or imagination?” he asks. These attributes may defy measurement, yet they are essential for influencing our future. Dr. Suarez’s maxims and “nuggets of wisdom,” made his book “Leader of One: Shaping Your Future through Imagination and Design,” a Washington Post bestseller.

The book offers a way to help readers transcend the present—its trappings and obstacles— and helps them create a vibrant and viable future. Creating a desired future requires that we guide our efforts through vision, values, constancy of purpose and consistency of action. Doing so is not easy, transformative efforts never are, and to help us take the first steps he introduces the cycle CONTEMPLATION-DESIRE-DESIGN-CREATION, as well as interactive idealized design, problem dissolution, the Physical-Logical-Emotional model, and non-linear thinking, among other systems thinking frameworks.

But most importantly, he has created a system to help students find their passion, nurture their purpose, and have the courage to imagine the future and take action in the present to pursue it. These enduring lessons have shaped and inspired QUEST students for over a decade… and as he says, “the student’s accomplishments have inspired me.”

 

Link to Washington Post Bestsellers List can be found here

Book link: Leader of One http://www.amazon.com/dp/1494401363

 

Video excepts from Leader of One
Get out of your career rut:   https://youtu.be/kDRvBDytts0

How to find your passion:   https://youtu.be/DLLkvIMeuMA

How to lead when you aren’t in a leadership position:   https://youtu.be/3vi-HerorwA

Keep an eye on the goal:  https://youtu.be/KfNWgQiYaAo

 

[1] This quote has been attributed to Einstein, William Bruce Cameron, Hillard Jason and others.

Goodbye and Good Luck to our QUESTPress Seniors

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Another year here at UMD is coming to a close and so naturally, we are losing some of our seniors to the real world. While we wish them the best, we also wish we had more time to learn from them and share more memories and laughs. With this said, QUESTPress would like to give a big sendoff to our seniors, Chineme Obiefune (Q25), Joe Piscitelli (Q25), Sam Weaver (Q26), and our Editor-in-Chief, Andrew Jones (Q26).

Andrew Jones (Q26)

Andrew is our great Editor-in Chief. He has been a part of QUESTPress for 3 years and has written numerous entertaining articles for the QUEST community. Additionally, Andrew has been involved in QUEST in other ways by being a  mentor for Q30 as well as attending not one, but two QUEST2 trips – to Silicon Valley and to Spain! Looking forward to the summer, Andrew will be traveling around the world (no exaggeration!). He’s going to be in Peru, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and then back to the US to be in New Orleans and Boston! After a busy summer, Andrew will be settling in Tysons Corner to begin work as an Associate Consultant at Appian Corporation.

While thinking about leaving UMD, Andrew will miss all of the experiences he’s had here and the opportunity to participate in so much. He said, “UMD offers so many activities. It can’t compare to any other institution!” QUEST gave Andrew a plethora of great things but what he’ll miss most are the abroad courses and meeting our amazing alumni! Andrew, we’ll miss your support and insights that you would give us at every Sunday meeting.

Chineme, our senior in Q25 has been in QUESTPress for two years but has also mentored 190H and helped out in the scoping class. This summer, Chineme is excited to be outside enjoying the weather but also hanging out with kids by volunteering at a summer camp. What’s really cool is that he’s going to also be working on his music (tune in everyone!!) to develop a skill that he is finally getting some free time to think about.

Chineme Obiefune (Q25)

QUEST is an intense community, full of people who are driven and passionate about what they are learning and Chineme appreciates and will miss it the most. Getting to see his team do amazingly in 190H yet still harness so much growth on the way to 490H was extremely rewarding, especially knowing that he “has had a slight hand in the success.” Chineme, we are going to miss your out of the box ideas for articles and fearlessness when it comes to trying and proposing new things.

Joe had an especially important position for not only QUESTPress but also the newsletter, in that he has been our webmaster and the genius behind figuring out any struggle with the online forums and making sure all of our articles and sites look great. Joe joined QUESTPress immediately after QUEST Camp after a now QUEST alumna, Grace Cha, suggested that people join. After school ends for Joe, he’ll be back in Miami with friends and family but his studying won’t be over as he will be preparing for the CPA exam prior to coming back to the DMV as a Core Assurance Associate for PriceWaterhouse Coopers.

Joe Piscitelli (Q25)

Looking back, Joe will mostly miss the amazing people that he has had the opportunity to meet through QUEST, Smith, and UMD as a whole. Joe says, “I came to UMD knowing absolutely no one else coming here so it was nice to have organizations on campus such as QUEST to make the campus smaller. I’ve met some of the best people I know at UMD.” Memories like simply walking into the QUEST lab to print and bumping into people you don’t expect to see and getting to catch up will stick with Joe for a while. He also loved to check out what new art our fellow QUEST students have up on the walls. Joe, we will miss your great sense of humor and endless help as we struggle through WordPress.

Sam has been in QUESTPress and writing articles for us since her sophomore year. After three years with us, Sam will be joining Lockheed Martin in Dallas. Sam has enjoyed her time with QUEST and says that she’ll miss all of the great events that QUEST has to offer. Being involved and getting to catch up with fellow QUEST peers are what she enjoyed most about QUEST. Sam’s favorite memory followed finally accomplishing the final client presentation in 490H. Her group had gotten through the toughest course for QUEST and to celebrate, Sam said, “My team and I went to Costco for lunch and just hung out and goofed off. Our client really loved our project and capping off that successful presentation with some pizza and ice cream was so satisfying.” Sam, we’ll miss having you over the conference call because you’re doing something cool like getting stuck at home baking bread.

Sam Weaver (Q26)

While we are sad to see you all go, we know you are onto bigger and better things. We look forward to hearing your names in articles not written by you, but rather about you. Thank you for your endless contributions to not only QUESTPress but QUEST as a whole. To you and all of the seniors moving on from our students to our alumni, keep us in mind. Come visit us and share your experiences with us or even let us know how we can be do better in our next QUEST presentation. I’ll leave you with a quote in the spirit of QUEST: “I begin with an idea, and then it becomes something else” – Pablo Picasso. QUEST has trained us to develop brilliant ideas and to take them as far as we can. Keep up the QUEST spirit and remain design thinkers regardless of where you end up because you all have great things to offer and thoughts to share. Best of luck class of 2018! You made it!