In the “new normal” faced by students this semester, virtual communication has become more important than ever. A few QUESTees are tackling this issue through their leadership on the launch team for Dive Chat, a new group-messaging system that hit the App Store in August. I had the opportunity to speak with Aaliya Husain (Cohort 35), Jules Parra (Cohort 35), and Ishaan Kapur (Cohort 36) about their experience with Dive.
Dive Chat is a new student-run startup that leverages group chats through organized channel messaging and events. As one of ten launch teams at universities across the country, the Dive launch team at UMD has been hard at work building their team, hosting virtual social events, and developing a mentor program for freshmen.
Aaliya started working with Dive when a recruiter reached out to her via LinkedIn this July. She resonated with Dive’s mission and culture, so she agreed to serve as UMD’s Launch Campus Manager for the summer. “Since Dive is a completely student-run startup, you get to see all aspects of the app: the development, the business side, and the tech side. Everyone is always willing to help with professional questions or random everyday questions,” Aaliya said.
After being messaged by the recruiter and learning that Aaliya had already joined, Jules joined the summer team as Assistant Campus Manager. Jules is interested in a career in technology and thought it would be a valuable experience to work on a startup’s launch team with other UMD students. Ishaan joined the launch team as a Recruiting Manager for similar reasons, saying he was excited when he “learned that it’s this cool new app and actually believed it could go somewhere.”
Since the app’s launch last month, UMD’s team has focused on engaging in the campus community. Aaliya said the team has been getting to know each other virtually. “What I love about our team is everyone is so nice, and I wouldn’t have met all of these people if it weren’t for Dive. We have fun socials too just to get to know each other.” Dive has also instituted a mentorship program for incoming freshmen with virtual social mixers. “It’s not just about the app, but community-building as well,” Aaliya said.
After organizing strategy for the internal teams over the summer, Jules is looking forward to keeping up with her network and maintaining the friendships she made through Dive. Ishaan is continuing his role with Dive’s recruiting this fall, and he feels excited to continue challenging his communication and teamwork skills. Aaliya decided to switch to a brand strategy role in order to learn more about brainstorming, design thinking, and content creation.
Working with Dive’s launch team has been an influential experience for these QUESTees to grow professionally. Aaliya reflected, “Everyone on the team is very active and their belief in the product is insane. Everyone has a deep-rooted belief that this is great, and that makes everyone want to work harder.”
Ally Merwitz (Cohort 33) has never been one to turn a blind eye towards a great opportunity or a chance to help people. So when the finance student with an aptitude for inspiring social change spoke with the COO of One for the World (OFTW), she knew something great could come from their connection, and she had just the idea: form a partnership with UMD. She may have had a full plate then, but some ideas are like fine wines or a 401(k); they only get better with time.
Ally’s connection with One for the World began at the Smith School’s Center for Social Value Creation, where students and faculty work to create a positive impact through business. This often comes through connecting with non-profits in the industry, including One for the World, an organization applying the philosophy of effective altruism to optimize the impact a donation of one percent of a donor’s income can have. Effective altruism is a pretty cool concept– it’s essentially getting the most bang for your buck through the lens of social good. We often make donations without a second thought of how the money is really used to make a difference or what costs it may go to cover; all we know is it saves lives or feeds the hungry. One for the World takes a different approach: donations are dispersed to organizations maximizing the impact of a dollar identified by GiveWell, another non-profit. This may be through feeding the most people at a given time or ensuring enough medical resources reach those in need to save the most lives. This is effective altruism at work, and together, GiveWell and One for the World’s partnership is not only saving lives but relentlessly tackling global poverty one percent at a time.
Ally Merwitz (Q33)
Fast forward to spring 2020, and there’s no better time to start a chapter at the University of Maryland, which would be one member of a global collegiate network. Collegiate chapters welcome guest speakers to campus while also helping students take the pledge to give one percent of their income following graduation. In Ally’s words, “It’s about pledging now to help when they can, for about the price of a cup of coffee a day.” Throughout the summer, Ally will be publicizing, recruiting, and building a firm foundation to build a movement of philanthropy upon as president of the budding organization. If you’re interested in learning more about One for the World, thinking about joining Maryland’s incoming chapter or executive board, or want to sign up for the group’s mailing list, click here!
Spring hasn’t only brought new opportunities to help others, but the perfect balance of self-exploration and growth to go along with it as well. After years of suspense, Ally finally had a chance to crack open J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, although her recommended read has to be Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy. Stevenson’s book inspired her to take an interest in the power of law to help those without the resources to help themselves. Not long after turning the last page, Ally found herself reaching out to QUEST alumni who have broken out of the business, engineering, and computer science fields to learn more about their experiences and how they found themselves where they are. Her experience networking has proved priceless, and helped her to take an interdisciplinary approach to not only her work, but also her career path as she continues her journey. Ally’s seasoned networking skills have also benefited the greater QUEST community through her work with QUEST Corporate. She’s a part of the team framing next year’s events through a design thinking approach, and they want to hear from current students! Share your thoughts in the QUEST Corporate survey here!
With a busy semester ahead, Ally is truly making the most of her summer, putting the cherry on top with an internship in GE Aviation’s Aviation Finance Division in Cincinnati. Here, she’ll be paired with a mentor before breaking into data collection on an assigned topic. Once she’s received her data, she’ll be undertaking a personal project which she’ll later scale to fit corporate needs and present to a board of directors. She’s sure to have plenty of opportunities to apply everything she’s learned in QUEST to her work over the next few months!
It’s been quite the adventure, and although it’s barely halfway through, there have already been enough twists and turns to keep her searching for the next step. Ally’s advice to anyone uncertain about what they want to do in the future?
“Don’t be afraid to try something new and expand your horizons. You never know what might pique your interest and where that will lead you. Pushing yourself beyond what you think you are capable of gives you the chance to accomplish more than you could ever imagine.”
There’s no time like the present to dig down and do that thing you’ve been waiting to do or learn a little bit more about something new. Never be afraid to jump into it– you just might love where your next chapter leads you.
Summer is usually an excellent time to augment the lessons learned in classrooms with other experiences like internships. Being able to work in the industry with professionals is incredibly rewarding. Interns are left with memories that last them a lifetime. Although circumstances aren’t ideal this summer, many QUEST students will be fortunate enough to participate in some fun internships, even if they are virtual. These might not be normal times, but QUEST students are still adapting to the challenging circumstances. I was able to get an inside look at some of our students’ summer plans:
Gesna Aggarwal, a computer science major in Cohort 32, will be a Software Engineering Intern at Microsoft. She’ll be a part of the Azure team, working in the realm of Cloud technology. Gesna was able to connect with QUEST alumni who work at Microsoft in the QUEST Lab and at the fall career fairs. They encouraged her to apply to the position and answered her questions, too. One of them, Julia Lomakina from Cohort 26, made a great impression on Gesna. They talked about the Microsoft Employee Hackathon, where Julia had created a solution that helped make education more accessible. This inspired Gesna, who’s excited about being able to craft her own innovations this summer. She’s also excited to be able to learn a lot on the job and network with as many people as possible. Her internship has been converted to a remote one due to the current situation, but she’s excited to make the most of this opportunity and have a blast anyway!
Gesna Aggarwal, Cohort 32
Owen Roy, a bioengineering major in Cohort 32, will be interning at Rise Therapeutics in Rockville, MD. Rise is a biotechnology company leveraging research to develop biopharmaceuticals that can be taken orally instead of intravenously. Owen will be working to develop these therapies and get them approved for general use, as well as situate the company to succeed in the larger market. He leveraged his experiences from 190H and 390H when he was interviewing for the role. He said, “Because of my experiences in QUEST, I was able to present myself as someone who was interested and capable in both the technical and business sides of the biotechnology industry.” This will be Owen’s first experience in the biotechnology industry, so he hopes to be able to explore it and narrow down his interests for full-time roles. He hopes to be able to make a difference in any way possible and is looking forward to getting hands-on experience with the various operations of the company. Owen is unsure if his internship will be in-person or remote at the moment, but said that if he’s unable to go into the labs, he will focus more on the business side of the company. Either way, he feels fortunate to have this position and hopes to make the most of it.
Owen Roy, Cohort 32
Anusha Dixit, an aerospace engineering major from Cohort 31, will be a Systems Engineering Intern on the Exploration Medical Capability project for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. She’ll be adding to systems engineering models documenting baseline medical systems for future missions, as well as modeling the likelihood of medical conditions occurring on a mission. She thinks her experiences working with data in QUEST, coupled with a previous internship in the same field, helped her land the role. She’s very excited to see how medical systems for spaceflight missions are modeled, especially going into the Artemis moon missions. She’s also looking for opportunities to grow professionally and make great connections. Although her internship has been converted to a remote one, Anusha says she’s “still extremely thankful to be getting valuable work experience in these unprecedented times.”
Anusha Dixit, Cohort 31
All of these experiences sound incredible. Even though the summer has been dampened a little bit by these unusual circumstances, it’s great to see that QUEST students are still making the most out of the situations they find themselves in. Best of luck, everyone!
May 2020. For many Cohort 29 and 30 students, this date seemed distant and surreal. Yet, the days until graduation have dwindled, and our QUEST seniors are about to dive headfirst into the real world. As some of the most driven and hardworking students in the QUEST community, we cannot wait to see what’s in store for these QUESTees. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to learn about many graduating seniors’ QUEST experiences and future plans.
After graduation, Zarek Peris (Cohort 29) plans to work at Google in NYC as a Software Engineer, and later “probably quit to become a pro Smash Bros player and adopt a cat.” When asked about his QUEST experience, Zarek reflected,
Zarek Peris (third from right) and the 190H team he mentored, “QUEST Your Luck”
“Imagine if your group projects were always filled with people that not only did their work, but did it with a higher standard, were incredibly fun people and had the competitive fire to bring it all home. That’s what being in Cohort 29 was like. Everyone knew everyone, everyone thrived, and everyone is unforgettable. The program taught us so much about business and consulting practices and real-world application, and we got to explore it together. That’s what being in QUEST is like.”
Zarek Peris (right) and his capstone team, Raiders of the Lost Ark
The next senior I spoke to was Jacqueline Deprey, a Cohort 30 student majoring in Computer Science and Operations Management and Business Analytics. Jacqueline recounted that her favorite QUEST memory was going to South Carolina with her 490H team. “Not only did I get to learn more about our client, Sealed Air, by seeing their facilities in person, but what I treasured most is what I learned about my teammates. The trip brought us so much closer together, and they even taught me how to swim! The real House of Quality is not the inter-relational diagram describing the overlap between customer desires and the firm capabilities, but the home that the Quality Guild has built within QUEST. I am so grateful for not only everything the Guild has taught me, but also the community they have built within the program! After graduating, I will be working as a Software Engineer at Dropbox, and I look forward to staying connected to fellow QUESTees through being an active member of the New York network!”
Jacqueline Deprey (right) and her team when they visited their client, Sealed Air.
Jacqueline Deprey (middle) and her capstone team, Signed, Sealed, Delivered
I also had the pleasure of speaking to Laura Zheng, a Cohort 29 senior studying Computer Science. Laura will be returning to College Park in the fall to start the PhD program in computer science, with an interest in computer vision and HCI. When asked how QUEST has impacted her college career, Laura said, “QUEST shaped my undergrad experience in a very unique way. We always consider social life and academics to be mutually exclusive, but QUEST enables both. I think the reason why people have a good time in 490H, generally, is that you’re working hard with the smartest and most fun people. The skills students learn throughout QUEST are universal to all careers. Even though I am pursuing a research track, there are many presentation, proposal, client interaction, and user vs. customer lessons I can apply to make the most impact in my work. My favorite memory is just hanging around the QUEST Lab. My schedule outside of QUEST was busy and far from the business school, but when I did go into the lab to socialize or get work done, it was a blast. I really love my cohort. They’re amazing people and they are going to change the world without a doubt. I want to give a shoutout to Dr. Pam Armstrong. She’s a stellar professor, mentor, and friend. I really wouldn’t have made it into grad school without her guidance. I plan to be around for the next more-than-a-few years, so I hope to see everyone again soon.”
Laura Zheng (right) and Kelli Webber from Cohort 29 with Professor Armstrong
After graduation, Nikhil Modi, a Cohort 30 senior majoring in Accounting and minoring in Public Leadership, is planning on taking some time to volunteer in his community. From there, he plans on joining Deloitte as a Risk & Financial Advisory Consultant. When asked about his experience in QUEST, Nikhil explained, “I’ve learned so much while being in QUEST – from the courses, staff, faculty, and my peers. My favorite memories are working until 5 A.M. with my 490H team hopped up on Skittles, Pop Tarts, and McFlurries. HUGEST shoutout to the best 490H team that ever teamed, the Radioheads – Chad Simon, Colin SyBing, Gina Wingate, and Olivia Wolcott! Also a huge shoutout to Jess, Dr. Bailey, and Dr. Armstrong for supporting me throughout my entire tenure in the program!”
Nikhil Modi (right) and his team The Radioheads at the Cohort 30 QUEST Conference
Lastly, I spoke to Ari Riske, a Cohort 29 Marketing and Operations Management & Business Analytics major. After graduation, Ari is hoping to still go to Croatia with her family before starting at Bain & Co in the fall. “Joining QUEST changed the trajectory of my college career. I met some of the most accomplished, humble, innovative, and wonderful people, many of whom I can’t imagine my life without. My favorite story from QUEST, aside from the infamous Cohort 29 sleepover in the QUEST lab, was the day of the QUEST Conference. During our rehearsal, Doron Tadmor (also in Cohort 29) rewrote Ariana Grande’s “Thank You, Next” to “Thank You, QUEST” and sang it to us on the stage as we all cheered him on and sang. To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed and smiled so hard (I hope one day he will post the video so others can see it!!)”
Ari Riske (second from right) and her team at the spring 2019 QUEST Conference
Each of these seniors has made a profound impact on the QUEST community and spoken so highly of the support, mentorship, and lifelong memories they’ve made along the way. When I asked them for advice they’d give younger QUESTees, many said to make the most of the knowledge of the Quality Guild, along with getting close with their peers. As Ari explains, “Senior year will come quick, and although QUEST projects can be stressful and time-consuming, try to enjoy the work, team, and opportunity. It’s hard to separate from the stress sometimes, but those are team memories you won’t forget!” When asked about advice, Zarek said “Team bond like crazy, your teammates are the best. Go to the QUEST events and join the QUEST orgs. They rock, and it’s great for your careers and for making friends. Finally, take advantage of everything and everyone this program has to offer, because you only really get it for three years. Go to Dr. Armstrong’s office hours to talk about current business, coding practice, and life goals. Go to the QUEST lab to print. Join mentors or scoping and be in a small class of people doing and learning big things. Have those experiences. Special shout outs to Dr. Bailey and Dr. Armstrong for teaching me a whole lot more about life than about CAD and to Rachel and Jess for always being there for us, even when some of us were very late with our four-year plans. I’ll get it to you guys one day!”
The QUEST Community will truly not be the same without Cohorts 29 and 30, but we can’t wait to see all the big things they do. Graduates: Thank you for the advice, mentorship, fond memories, and friendships. Congratulations!
I don’t know about you, but for the first time in a while, it almost feels like I have a little extra time on my hands since I’ve been away from the daily hustle of campus life. Whether it’s catching up on classes, spending time with family, or diving into those personal passion projects (doctors are reporting alliteration is a symptom of productivity), everyone has been finding new ways to use their spare time. Luckily for me, I had the chance to see what three current QUEST students have been up to over the last of couple weeks since we left campus!
Adam Sarsony | Cohort 29 | Rockville, MD
All is well in the Sarsony house, where early in the mornings, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse–at least on the weekends. Adam is home in Rockville with his sister, who studies education in North Carolina, and his parents. It’s not unusual to walk into a simulated class, where his sister may or may not be recording a class session analyzing Laura Numeroff’s American classic, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, in English or Spanish.
Adam Sarsony (Cohort 29)
As for his classes, his machine learning and business courses are tying in well to his projects, particularly his research with Dr. Purtilo of the Quality Guild, investigating how digital tools can be better used to make in-personall meetings more effective. Here, he partakes in week-long design sprints leading up to Friday presentations on his project, related to the live presentation feedback tool some QUEST students may have used in their 190H courses. This tool allows users–presenters–to receive active feedback on their technical presentations so they can better understand audience understanding and attention. What better way than to ask them, right?
Work without play does not make a fun day, and Adam’s research hasn’t been his only personal interest. He’s actually rebuilt his personal website into a bit of a game using React. Check out Adam’s website here and some resources he shared to get started with your own site:
humans.fyi: A collection of personal websites people have shared for inspiration
AWS Amplify : An easy platform to host your first site on, with a start-up guide using React here
Sam Pearlstein | Cohort 31 | Danville, CA
Even though some QUEST students might be ready to call it a night near College Park, the sun’s still shining bright in the Golden State, and Sam Pearlstein is still making the most of every day! Her days start with meetings staying on top of everything QUEST and end with plenty of time with her family now that she’s home.
Sam Pearlstein (Cohort 31)
Sam was sure to voice how much she misses everyone in the QUEST Program, but luckily, she has still been able to stay involved while away from campus. She and her team are hard at work on their 490H project with their client Intralox, where they’re working with the conveyor belt manufacturer to analyze the use of Smartsheet, a data collection software. 490H is just one color on Sam’s palette of QUEST opportunities, as well–she’s also very involved with QUEST Recruiting and is serving as a mentor! As part of mentors class, she is co-leading a new effort to consolidate all of the current QUEST resources into one, easy-to-use platform: the QUEST Intranet! Be sure to check out the Facebook group to share your thoughts in a recent survey regarding the project’s development as well.
Out of the classroom, Sam’s been enjoying the time with her family and getting back to training for a half marathon, taking advantage of the sunny days to enjoy the fresh air on her runs. When she gets home to refuel, her and mom break open the recipe books and get cooking with Bon Appetit, where she’s discovered the perfect tostada recipe, which she highly recommends you try yourself.
Ayo Awobajo | Cohort 33 | Bowie, MD
They say work doesn’t feel like work when you’re doing what you love and back in Bowie, Maryland, Ayo Awobajo is doing exactly what he loves regardless of the circumstances, noting: “Although these are unprecedented times, there’s strength to be found. Reach out to someone, learn a new skill, do good work as we push through this as a community.”
Ayo Awobajo (Cohort 33)
He truly turns his words to work, digging deep into professional development and creativity at every chance he gets. Before he jumps into a business analyst internship with Tradeweb, a New York-based e-trade support platform, he’ll be spending the rest of his spring semester learning from mentors in externships with both J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley. Through these opportunities, he’s had the chance to see the day-to-day operations behind each company with a valuable emphasis on professionalism, and he’s sure to be Wall-Street ready in no time at all!
When he isn’t learning about the business world, he sets his sights to diving into it–Ayo actually started his own brand, Faith Love Optimism–the FLO, for short–this past November, a project nearly a year in the making. The uplifting lifestyle brand brings faith and joy to contemporary design, and now, he’s letting his creativity flo(w) as he prepares to launch a fresh series of designs in his Season 2 releases! Check out the start to his awesome clothing line on Instagram, and be sure to drop a follow for updates on their newest installments to the collection!
Charles Grody (Cohort 29) has been to countless pitch competitions. He has pitched Hydraze to CEOs and executives of companies including Under Armour and Hungry Harvest and traveled all the way to Toronto for a competition over winter break. He’s perfected his pitch and everything that precedes it. Because we have tons of entrepreneurial minds here in QUEST, I figured that it would be cool to capture his formula for many successes during his time growing Hydraze. I asked Charles some questions and his responses follow:
Charles, right, with his winnings at the Do Good Challenge
How do you find a “good” pitch competition?
Charles suggested that being active and engaged in entrepreneurship programs is key. He said, “I recommend finding the resources on campus that support entrepreneurs. I found out about the Do Good Challenge and Pitch Dingman through the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (EIP). Then, competing in the Do Good challenge opened up my eyes to other resources.”
How do you prepare the content for a pitch?
Charles broke this down into four main steps.
Step 1: “If I’m doing a presentation from scratch, I like to storyboard ahead of time and figure out what the flow is. Start with a hook to draw people in and the way to do that really depends on what your product is. It is good to evoke emotion. That may mean pulling on people’s heartstrings or being funny. I choose the latter as I am talking about toilets. Use the storyboard outline to make sure you hit all the key points of the pitch.”
Step 2: “Once you have an idea of what you want to communicate on each slide, build out the slide deck with appropriate content.”
Step 3: “Create a script. The bottom line is to get your message across. For me, that means a script word-for-word. But for others, that may mean having three key points that need to be mentioned.”
Step 4: “Practice! And that may not be necessary for everyone. You don’t want to lose the right tone or passion in the pitch but definitely prepare in the way that makes you the most comfortable.”
What does the team do together to get ready?
“As a team, the main thing is a good balance between individual and team practice, both of which are equally important. There’s a team chemistry component that can only be figured out when practicing as a group. You don’t have to be super nice when giving feedback as honesty will lead to progress.”
How do you get in the right mindset on the day of a pitch?
“I have to trust myself. You have to go up there knowing that you’ve practiced and that you’re well prepared.”
Charles at the Pitch Dingman award ceremony
Any final notes or advice?
“There is no such thing as a cookie-cutter pitch. Every pitch should have something special to it and should be able to stand out in its own right and impress people. Pitch what works best with your company, your passion, your feelings, and you’ll be an all-star.”
We cannot wait to see where Hydraze goes and where the next pitch will be. If you have any questions, Charles is happy to chat. He can be reached at cdgrody@gmail.com.
Celine Moarkech (Cohort 29) is a senior studying Data Analytics in Biotechnology.
Congratulations to QUEST students Shannon Donaldson (Q29) and Hadas Elazar-Mittelman (Q30) on their team’s Alumni Cup victory! They led a team of eight Materials Science and Engineering majors in the design and assembly of a Rube Goldberg machine.
Hadas (front left) and Shannon (front right) with their teammates
The Alumni Cup is an annual engineering design competition hosted by the A. James Clark School of Engineering and its Alumni Association. Students from each Engineering department create a machine that will exercise a fundamental task. In this year’s competition, students were required to build a Rube Goldberg machine with 20 steps leading up to a small basketball being dunked into a hoop.
Teams had one week to design their machines, which also needed to showcase the disciplines of their respective engineering department. The machines were presented and judged at the competition on Friday, February 21 to conclude Engineers Week.
Hadas (left) and Shannon (right) explaining their design
Shannon and Hadas led six other Materials Science and Engineering students in the week-long design, with about 20 people helping build the machine. Overall, Hadas and Shannon estimate the team spent at least 54 hours working on the machine! “While we were all in the same engineering major, everyone brought something unique to the table, and it was a humbling experience piecing everyone together into a functional team,” Hadas said.
Hadas thinks that her and Shannon’s experiences with QUEST helped them lead their team successfully. “QUEST teaches you valuable leadership and people skills both within the context of teams and personally,” Hadas said. “QUEST emphasizes that a team is only as strong as the sum of its parts, and to function as a good Alumni Cup team everyone needs to participate. It’s clear early on that every person is a valuable asset, and this concept is rampant in all QUEST curriculum.”
The names of the winning team members will be written on the Alumni Cup Trophy, kept in Glenn L. Martin Hall. Congratulations to Shannon and Hadas for their leadership and hard work!
Hadas, Shannon, and their teammates with the Alumni Cup!
Christina Giovanazi (Cohort 31) is a junior studying Finance and Operations Management & Business Analytics.
Food recovered after the Maryland-Michigan State men’s basketball game on February 29th
Building, maintaining, and expanding relationships is a major piece of the puzzle behind the success of the QUEST Honors Program. From corporate partnerships to campus organizations, outreach lies at the heart of so much growth and opportunity–and now, a new QUEST organization is lending a hand in the effort! QUESTServes is a student initiative bringing together students from every cohort to enrich the College Park and greater communities through service, leadership, and outreach. The new student organization was started by Cohort 33 students Ryan Gerbes, Tori Miske, Mausam Patel, and Maggie Quinn and kicked off its journey last month by partnering with UMD’s chapter of the Food Recovery Network (FRN).
QUESTServes and FRN collaborated on February 29th following the Maryland-Michigan State men’s basketball game during a Collection Event at Maryland’s Xfinity Center. They recovered leftover food from concession stands at one of the season’s biggest games. Volunteers were able to collect nearly 30 full units of recovered food, enough to provide well over 75 meals to those in need. After the food left our hands, it was donated to the Christian Life Center, which then redistributed meals to those in need via local food pantries and outreach groups. Moving forward, QUESTServes looks to create a long-term relationship with the Food Recovery Network by hosting a Recovery Event at the conclusion of the QUEST Conference each semester!
Following the recent amendments to the University’s schedule and new policies regarding public gatherings, the remainder of QUESTServes events have been postponed until the fall. But stay excited– the organization hopes to sponsor more FRN Recovery Events and register groups for both College Park Good Neighbor Day and Relay for Life next spring! In the meantime, plenty of events are planned for the fall for everyone interested in giving back–a Terp Thon team will be regularly fundraising throughout the year, leading up to the 12-hour dance marathon next March, with more information coming out regarding events hosted in September, October, and November soon!
Interested in staying up-to-date on upcoming events and news? Join the QUESTServes Official GroupMe messaging board via this link.
Have a collaboration or project you want to see happen in our community? Email suggestions to the official QUESTServes email: questservesoffical@gmail.com.
Ryan Gerbes (Cohort 33) is a sophomore studying Mechanical Engineering.
This semester, Cohort 34 embarked on the beginning of their long and rewarding QUEST journey. The semester began with a trip to Camp Tockwogh for QUEST Camp, where Q34 members met their teams, pitched pilot products, and had some good old fashioned peer bonding. Since then, Q34 students have been hard at work on their 190H projects, following this semester’s theme of “Living.” Being in Cohort 34 myself, I was able to poll many of my peers to hear about their QUEST experiences so far! Here’s what they had to say:
Julie Hirsch
Julie Hirsch:
“My name is Julie Hirsch, and I’m from Rockville, Maryland. Though I’m currently a Mechanical Engineering major, there was a period of time that I was debating between studying business and engineering. QUEST has been great because I’m still able to learn business skills and apply my engineering coursework to business cases. It’s also given me a community of people that have similar values and encourage me to work harder. So far, my favorite memory from 190H was bonding with my team and hearing what makes each of us unique. I’m looking forward to spending more time with them, including creating products that all of us are proud of.”
Michelle Lui, second from left, with her teammates and mentor, Shannon Donaldson (Q29)
Michelle Lui:
“My name is Michelle, and I’m currently an Information Systems and Operations Management & Business Analytics major! I heard about QUEST from my older brother, who was in Cohort 26. BMGT 190H has been unlike anything I’ve experienced so far. I love how I can spitball a brand new idea, and actually have someone who’s studying engineering or computer science lay out specifications and the technical possibilities of it. I am already learning how to consider issues from new perspectives beyond a singular business mindset. Every single topic that I learn about in class, from the principles of design to building a quality product, I know will be directly applicable to solving problems in the professional world. I can’t wait to continue growing closer to my team and all of Cohort 34! I know I’m surrounded by amazing people, and I am excited to see what all of us are going to do over the next few years.”
Dhyay, top left, with his teammates and mentor, Ari Riske (Q29)
Dhyay Bhatt:
“My name is Dhyay Bhatt, and I’m from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. I’m studying computer science here at UMD. I was initially attracted to QUEST because of its multidisciplinary nature, but also because I heard it was a lot of fun. So far, 190H has definitely held true to that! I’ve learned a lot about interview techniques, team dynamics, and design thinking, all while having fun with friends. Looking forward to the rest of the semester!”
Heather Bacon
Heather Bacon:
“My name is Heather, and I’m majoring in Computer Engineering! I joined QUEST because I’m passionate about both business and technology and wanted to combine my interests while working on meaningful projects. QUEST has been really great so far. My favorite memory so far has been being the QUEST Lab Assistant, which has really given me the opportunity to get to know the Guild and QUESTees from other cohorts as well. This semester, I’m really looking forward to gaining applicable skills and bonding with my 190H team. Go Q34!”
Arpan Chavan:
Arpan Chavan
”Hi! My name is Arpan Chavan. I’m a sophomore majoring in Finance and Operations Management and Business Analytics, and I am from Montgomery, New Jersey. Personally, I really enjoy consulting, and QUEST seemed like a program that could really help me develop my skills. If I had to pick, my favorite QUEST memory so far has been doing improv at QUEST camp with my team, my mentor, and Dr. Armstrong! I know QUEST will help me tremendously, and I am looking forward to really improving any and all skills that I can.”
So far, it seems that all of Cohort 34 has been actively contributing to the QUEST community and learning a lot from Dr. Armstrong in 190H. I can’t wait to see where Cohort 34 goes in QUEST and beyond!
This month, we have been welcoming back all of our QUESTees for a new, and some student’s final, spring semester! Although QUEST students were gone for five weeks and did not get to participate in innovative QUEST classes, they seemed to be doing some pretty cool and exciting activities on their own!
Celine Moarkech of Cohort 29, and QUESTPress’ Editor and Chief, spent part of her winter break in the country of Colombia! “I absolutely loved Colombia! In the craziest of ways, this trip was super QUEST-y. I did an AirBnB experience with an architect in Medellin to learn about the city planning and design post-Escobar, and I learned that so much thought went into it. From thinking about every potential user of city transportation to identifying the most efficient ways (ski lifts are regular forms of transport) to keeping everything sustainable, the city is not only developing amazingly for now but also for the future!”
Celine in Medellin, Colombia
Neil Duggal of Cohort 31 went abroad with the Smith School of Business and interactively studied the financial effects of Brexit in England and Belgium. “I really enjoyed visiting the historical aspects of each city. I absolutely loved learning about the military leaders and going to museums. The food was amazing – I could always go for some classic fish ‘n chips. Also, I went to Paris on my own and really enjoyed exploring the town of Versailles. If you go, definitely hit up the bakeries and eat every type of croissant imaginable.”
Neil in Paris, France
Charles Grody, Jack Sturtevant, and Tuvia Rapaport, all from Cohort 29, went to Queen’s University in Toronto to pitch Hydraze, their startup eco-friendly public toilet flushing system, in the Queen’s Entrepreneurial Challenge. Jack Sturtevant said, “We were one of fifteen teams to compete in the challenge, and only one of four non-Canadian start-ups. We made it to the final, which consisted of only six teams. This was a really cool opportunity for Hydraze because we got to pitch our idea in front of people like the Chief Marketer at Groupon, the CTO of Microsoft, Canada, etc. Charles Grody added, “This was actually all of our first time in Canada. It snowed a lot, so when we weren’t focusing on Hydraze, we were having snowball fights!”
These QUEST students really had some cool experiences this winter break! Sadly, its time to regroup and get back to class… Only four more weeks until spring break, but who’s counting…
From left to right, Tuvia Rapaport, Charles Grody, Jack Sturtevant in Toronto, Canada
