Alumni Mentor Program: An Alumna’s Point of View

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Article by Tracey Epstein (Q14)

Tracey Epstein (Q14)

When I first heard about the QUEST mentor program, I assumed it would be just like every other mentor-mentee relationship I’d had in the past: randomly assigned pairs, an email or two sent back and forth, and then we’d both get busy and never talk again. Despite the fact that I have never been part of a strong mentorship relationship in the past, I decided to at least fill out the interest form and see what came of it. Who knew, maybe this program would be different? Maybe it would be more than a line on my resume.

Well, fast forward a few months and now I think this program actually is different. I don’t know if it’s because of the enthusiasm of the Alumni Board and the Mentor Program Planning Committee, or because of the overachieving nature of QUEST students and alumni, but I definitely feel that this program will actually make a difference for both the mentor and the mentee.

I am already feeling inspired to keep in contact (beyond the classic “email or two back and forth”) with my mentee, Aaron. I spoke to him for a bit at the QUEST 20th Anniversary back in April and he told me a little bit about his recent decision to switch majors and his upcoming internship. Hearing about all this brought me back to my own time in college, my uncertainty over my major, and my old concerns about getting relevant work experience. While all that is in my past, the lessons I learned are something that I would like to pass on for Aaron to use in the future.

My biggest wish for the program is that everyone continues to get involved, be proactive, and take advantage of what their mentor or mentee has to offer. If my past mentorship experiences are any indication, you really do get out of it what you put into it. Fortunately, this is a QUEST program, so I am confident that a lot of effort will be put in (I did mention the overachieving thing, right?).

Student Spotlight: Recruiting Team Special Edition

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Article by Varisha Parikh (Q18)

Editor’s Note: Similar to the special edition of QSO, we will be highlighting members of QUEST’s Recruiting Team in upcoming Student Spotlights. Starting with a brief intro, we kick off with Varisha and learn more about her experience as part of QRecruiting!

Introduction
The QRecruiting team is comprised of 6 students, 2 from each cohort, who are interested in promoting the opportunities, accomplishments, and community that define the QUEST program. Throughout the school year, the recruiting team is responsible for information sessions, open houses, the QUEST ambassador program, and the behavioral interview for selections. QRecruiting enjoys working together as a team to create fun events that portray the excitement and community of the QUEST Honors Program.

Clockwise from top left: Alison Cowley (Q17), Danny Laurence (Q19), Josh Kohn (Q18), Michele Fried (Q17), Varisha Parikh (Q18), Shirley Han (Q19)

Varisha Parikh
Hello everyone! My name is Varisha Parikh and I am in Cohort 18. I have been on QRecruiting for the past two years and have thoroughly enjoyed my experience! After helping lead the recruiting team this past year, I am so proud of what we have accomplished. As a team, we have successfully coordinated our traditional recruiting events as well as the first annual QUEST Oscars. My favorite part of this past year’s recruiting efforts was the awesome team and ambassadors I got a chance to work with! Everyone was so enthusiastic and really enjoyed working to help promote the QUEST community! As I move into my senior year, I look forward to seeing the new and exciting things the rising QUEST juniors coordinate and I can’t wait to be part of the recruiting effort for another year!

weBike: QUEST Alumni Changing the Landscape of Public Transportation

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Article by Brad Eisenberg (Q14)

We started with a small, simple idea: what if getting to class could be… better?

In the fall of 2007, then QUEST Director Dr. J. Gerald Suarez introduced a new course into the QUEST curriculum: Systems Thinking for Managerial Decision Making. The goal of the class was simple enough – identify a problem/project/cause that you are passionate about, and using the concepts of systems thinking, determine how you can solve that problem in a meaningful way. The simplicity of the class was its greatest strength; there were no constraints – no competition guidelines, no team-building requirements, no clients. Just a project, a passion, and the tools and teachings to make systemic change.

Our team, comprised of Allie Armitage (Cohort 13), Vlad Tchompalov (Cohort 14), Jacob Portnoy (honorary QUESTee), and myself (Cohort 14), found common ground in weBike among our shared goals and passions. With Allie, it was looking into green sustainable marketing techniques. For me, it was pursuing technological solutions to bike parking. Vlad had just come back from a trip in Europe, where he saw bike sharing being implemented there. Jake loved the opportunity to apply new technologies to business concepts. We took all these passions and put them towards the goal of improving our community’s transportation.

Now five years later, our project created in that very first 390 class has become one of the few QUEST projects to grow legs beyond the classroom and become a revenue-generating business.

Our company, weBike (www.webikedoyou.com), is the next generation of bike sharing. You’ve probably seen bike sharing systems in major cities, including DC, where you can sign up as a member and take out bikes from stations scattered across the city whenever you need a quick way to get around. Bike sharing in big cities today is affordable, efficient, and healthy for both you and the environment; however the high upfront investment needed to purchase and install a large scale bike station infrastructure is too costly for campuses and smaller communities.

Our mantra, “Bike, Share, Everywhere” reflects our mission of making bike sharing programs accessible everywhere – beyond the large metropolitan communities where we only see them today. We do this by replacing the stations with mobile and web technologies. In this way we cut the cost and cumbersome operations involved, making the whole process simpler, flexible and affordable.

Today, a lot of exciting things are happening with weBike. We’re preparing to launch our third system this fall at a university in Pennsylvania. In true 490 fashion, we’re working with a team of graduate students in George Mason University’s Social Innovators Program who are consulting with us to help develop a ‘brand ambassador’ campaign that we’ll use to bring weBike to new schools across the country.

Most excitingly, last Wednesday July 18th, weBike launched a fundraising campaign on the debut of Launcht (www.launcht.org), a new crowdfunding platform built specifically to support social entrepreneurs and start-ups. The money we’re raising with this campaign will be used to develop the final piece of the weBike puzzle – an electronic bike lock that works with our software products to enhance the security and reliability of our bike sharing systems.

After weeks of preparation, we’re off to a great start. We’ve become the premier project on the Launcht platform, raising more than any other project so far. In the first week of our 45 day campaign, our wonderful and generous funders have contributed over $3,000 of our $15,000 goal. We’re still $12,000 from our goal, but we have plenty of time left!

We’d love to be able to share our continued success with you. To follow our progress or contribute to our campaign, please visit Launcht.org (http://www.launcht.org/campaign/detail/126). You can also keep tabs on us by Liking our facebook page (www.facebook.com/webikedoyou), following our blog (http://blog.webikedoyou.com), or visiting our website (www.webikedoyou.com).

The QUEST community was extremely integral in getting us to where we are today; it empowered us to transform a project into a company and help change the way people move. We believe it can allow others to create the same kind of impact wherever they see it, too… it’s just a matter of taking advantage of the opportunities in front of you.

This Summer, Where in the World is QUEST?

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Article by Alex Bansleben (Q18)

After the completion of yet another academic year, summer provides a much-needed chance to relax, unwind, and escape the normal day-to-day routine. This summer, members of the QUEST community are off to the far ends of the globe to volunteer, embrace different cultures, and enjoy time with family and friends.

Mercedes Valero (Q19):

This summer I’ll be traveling to Europe in August, more specifically London, Amsterdam and Edinburgh. In London, I will be attending various Olympic events and cheering on Team USA! And my family I decided to take the opportunity to visit Amsterdam and Edinburgh as well, two cities I have never visited, so I’m very excited. Besides that, I will be working with high school girls at the Exploring Engineering camp here at UMD as a camp counselor.

 

Chul Kwon (Q18):

On May 19th, I will be leaving for Taiwan with Melinda Song (Cohort 18). We hope to visit their night market and Taipei 101 — the second tallest skyscraper in the world. Two days later, we will rendezvous with Alex Bansleben (Cohort 18) in Bangkok, Thailand! After five days of staying in Bangkok, we will leave for Hanoi, Vietnam, where Olivia Sulaeman (Cohort 19) will join us and travel down to Saigon, or officially, Ho Chi Minh City.

Following my Southeast Asia trip with QUEST will be my internship at GE Capital. I will be working as part of the Information Technology Leadership Program in Danbury, CT. Because of its proximity to New York City, I hope to hang out with some of my QUEST buddies who will also be in the New York metropolitan area.

I will close my summer break with a trip to South Korea, where I will be visiting my old friends, as well as my family and my relatives. I will be coming back to the United States on August 24th!

 

Hannah Henningsgaard (Q17):

This summer, I will be in: Chicago (1 week), Thailand (2 weeks), Bali (1 week), Florida (2 weeks), and road tripping in New Orleans, San Antonia, Austin, New Mexico, California, Montana, Minnesota, and Michigan (5 weeks). I’ve got every day of my summer planned with my family 🙂

 

Dr. Nicole Coomber (QUEST Assistant Director):

I am excited to be traveling with Tony to visit my mother in Florida and spend some time at the beach. We’ll also be heading up to the Catskills for a pig roast with family and friends at the end of June. Other than that, I’m looking forward to some “summer reading” and finally seeing the Hunger Games.

 

Sahil Rahman (Q17):

I will be traveling to Kenya and volunteering with an organization called Volunteer HQ. While volunteering, I will be working on sport development, where you introduce a new sport to the school children. As a result, I will be teaching the kids how to play ultimate frisbee, and will be bringing many discs over to Kenya with me to teach them how to play. Then, I’ll possibly be taking a US road trip when I get back!

 

Val Kravets (Q17):

This summer, I plan to travel to 10 different countries in Europe for a month with another QUEST Cohort 17 member, Tshikuna Muanankese. Also, I will be starting a new job with the Department of Defense after I get back in July.

 

Nelly Desmerattes (Q17):

I will be volunteering and working in Thailand with International Student Volunteers. I will be there for a month working at the Mae Kok foundation with underprivileged children. I will also be touring Thailand and Cambodia. I will be back by early July to start work at Capital One by mid-July!

 

Dr. Joe Bailey (QUEST Executive Director):

I am looking forward to making progress on some work projects as well as some family vacations.  On the work front, I hope to be working on some new material in the 190 class so business students will learn more about technology development and design.  On the family front, my family and I are schedule to go to Nantucket, the Adirondacks, and Montana.  My son, Nicholas, and I hope to do a road trip to see some baseball games (minor and major league) out West.

Congratulations, Seniors!

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Article by The Quality Guild

With the graduation season upon us, the members of The Quality Guild would like to extend their thoughts and congratulations to the seniors of QUEST who will be graduating this May.

Members of Cohort 17

* * * * * * *

To the QUEST graduating seniors,

Congratulations on your graduation! You are all such talented individuals and I am confident that we will see great things from you in the future. As you prepare to move on to the next chapter in your lives, be sure to remember the lessons, skills, and most importantly, the relationships that you gained while in QUEST and at the University of Maryland. We are so proud of your accomplishments and are looking forward to hearing about the exciting adventures that lie ahead!

~Kathryn Weiland

* * * * * * *

Dear graduating seniors,

Congratulations! You’ve completed your QUEST student experience, you’ve earned your diplomas, and you’ve done so much to benefit the QUEST program and the University of Maryland, as a whole. While I’m sad that we won’t get to see each other in Van Munching Hall as often, I am so excited to welcome you to our alumni community! Be sure to keep us updated as your amazing futures unfold!

~Kylie Goodell

* * * * * * *

Dear Cohort 17:

Congratulations on your tremendous accomplishments over the last three years!  We appreciate your energy, your ideas, and the many other contributions you have made to the QUEST program.  Your hard work not only helped you learn but also helped many others.  The road bends, and we cannot see too far ahead, but I hope that you will continue to learn from, serve, and love those with whom you travel.

~Dr. Jeffrey W. Herrmann

* * * * * * *

Congratulations Cohort 17! You are the first cohort I have had the pleasure of seeing through the entire QUEST experience, so your graduation is definitely bittersweet!

I wish you great success and encourage each of you to follow your heart even when it leads to the road less traveled.

~ Melanie Ashton

* * * * * * *

Dear Cohort 17,

Now the fun really begins! Remember when we surprised you by making you present to KPMG on your first day of 490? We hope that these experiences helped prepare you for all the challenges you’ll face in the “real world.” Some students find they have a bit of a bumpy landing when they graduate – you’re on your own, and your friends aren’t surrounding you the way they did in college. Don’t worry! It’s important for you to move on to new things so you can grow and adapt. And in a few years time, you’ll love the new path you’re traveling. We’re always here for you at QUEST to grab a coffee, have lunch, and chat when you need us. Best wishes – we’re so proud of what you’ve done as Terps, and we can’t wait to see what new trails you blaze. I’m proud, too, to be part of the class of 2012 with you!

Love, Nicole

* * * * * * *

Congratulations on your graduation from QUEST!  You have accomplished great things while you have been students in our program and you are leaving a lasting legacy for all the cohorts that follow in your footsteps.  Thank you.

I hope that your accomplishments within QUEST will always propel your professional careers and personal lives to new heights!

We are proud of you.  We will miss you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bailey

Summer Jobs and Internships

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Article by Alex Bansleben (Q18)

While some relaxation following final exams is definitely in order, QUEST students know that the summer months are the perfect opportunity to gain some professional experience through jobs and internships. See how some QUESTees are going to put their time to good use this summer!

 

Daniel Gerzhoy (Q17):

I’ve been away since January working at Intel in Folsom California. For the past few months I’ve been testing the newly released IvyBridge Processors from Intel for power and performance data. Working with prototypes from many computer companies and newly fabricated chips makes me excited to go into work every day. And living in northern California isn’t bad either!

 

Cat Ashley (Q19):

With summer rapidly approaching, I couldn’t be more excited for what the next few months have in store. After spending a few days at home, I’ll be relocating up to Elkton, MD for my internship at W.L. Gore (a.k.a. the people who make Goretex and everything else cool). I’m definitely looking forward to working alongside peers and friends at a Fortune 500 company doing chemical engineering-related things. On top of that, I will be attending Bonnarroo in June while volunteering with Engineers Without Borders!

 

Manas Kulkarni (Q18):

I’ll be interning in Unilever’s Marketing department working on Brand Development. The company has several exciting brands in their product line, and while I don’t know yet to which brand l’ve been assigned, I’m looking forward to an incredible experience. Their corporate headquarters is about 20 minutes from New York City, so I plan to live it up in the city as well!

 

Benita Poon (Q19):

I’ll be interning with JP Morgan Chase this summer in their Finance Analyst Development Program in Newark, Delaware. But before that I’ll be heading down to Miami, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Mexico with my family. 🙂

 

Josh Kohn (Q18):

I’m going to be living in my Courtyards apartment and working at Applied Predictive Technologies in Arlington, VA. They are a small software/consulting firm that sells software to businesses that statistically analyzes data and helps the companies to make better data-driven decisions. They’ve done everything from helping Starbucks choose every franchise location since 2004 to Subway developing the Five Dollar Footlong promotion. They have both software and consulting internships and jobs so QUEST students should definitely consider them next year!

 

Liz Blankenhorn (Q18):

This summer, I’ll be working as an intern for Frito-Lay in Aberdeen, Maryland. As a chemical engineering major, food production is one of my main interests and I’m really excited to gain some manufacturing experience as I work in the plant. And of course, I’ll do my best to bring back some free snacks for the QUEST lab.

 

Rochelle Samuel (Q19):

I am going to be interning at the Department of Energy in DC. I received the internship through the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program, and will be working in the Office of Fossil Energy. I was lucky to get it, and plan on incorporating my new-found interest in Environmental Science here. I think it’s a great opportunity (also paid)! The only downfall is that they won’t be paying for my housing so I have to live at home; that will take some getting used to. But I’m still excited!

 

Brendan Fennessy (Q18):

I knew I was going to graduate in the Fall 2012 semester and so this summer became all the more important.   What fascinated me were all the changes I had been making to my life to get through school.  This summer however, I knew I wanted to go on an adventure and get back to myself a little.  It wasn’t until I was at the conclusion of my interview with National Instruments that I realized a great opportunity was about to begin.  When I offered to describe the wonderful program/community of QUEST (what is more appropriate, really?!?) we all cherish, the interviewee, Mark Lewis, shared that he was a proud member of Cohort 2.  I knew there was something special about a company which could hold on to one of our alumni so long.

Austin, Texas was never on my radar for an internship and I wondered what I could make of it.  I quickly learned that Austin is deemed the official “Live Music Capital of the World.” This really grabbed my attention, in addition to learning about the outdoor adventure that Austin offers.  While it was difficult to decide if I wanted to drop everything in Maryland and head out to Texas, the opportunity to experience another perspective was certainly enticing. After talking it through with friends and family (Dr. Bailey included), I decided that this internship could help me understand more of what I want and how to go about achieving it.  I’m really excited to be spending the summer in Austin, TX at National Instruments and can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get back!

Alumni Mentor Program – A Student Perspective

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Article by Danny Laurence (Q19)

What does it mean to be a QUEST mentor? If you ask Andreia Rauta (or Andie, as I have come to known her), her response would be “Rid the streets of crime by night and teach through real-world opportunities by day.”

Alright, so that first part may be a stretch, but I have to say that my relationship with Andie is shaping up to lead to a plethora of opportunities for us both. You could say that I am the Robin to her Batman. Even though we have just started our journey together, we have already discussed a lot of what we want to accomplish through our QUEST relationship.

After being matched, my correspondence with Andie was brief and casual; both Andie and I were busy, me with school and her with work. We decided to talk business after the QUEST 20th Anniversary. When the time came around, Andie frankly asked “what do you want out of me?” and my stomach dropped. Honestly, I hadn’t put too much thought into my goals for our relationship.

Luckily for me, Andie had been thinking about our relationship in depth. She started with just the basic things; she could easily be a sounding board for my ideas and a professional contact. However, she also suggested that I get on board with a few projects of hers. It occurred to me this could be a mini-490 experience for me; I could get a lot of meaning out of working with Andie. As I plan to move forward with my professional and personal relationship with Andie, I’m sure you are curious about exactly what these projects are. Similar to other QUEST endeavors, I am not at liberty to discuss the nature of these projects at this time. If all goes well, however, I’m sure you will hear about the great things that come out of my mentor relationship with Andie in the near future.

Toward the end of our first conversation, Andie asked me, “What do you want to do when you graduate college?” To that, I replied “Something meaningful.” I am confident that my participation in the alumni mentor program will help me achieve that goal.

Celebrating Twenty Years in One Evening

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Article by Kathryn Weiland (QUEST Graduate Assistant)

Twenty years of the IBM-TQ/QUEST program was too significant a milestone to go overlooked. In conversations with The Quality Guild, we determined that a celebratory event was the ideal way to recognize such a momentous occasion. What better way to commemorate this influential program than to invite alumni, former faculty and staff, and university affiliates to meet current students, mingle with QUEST leadership, and reconnect over dinner and good conversation. The QUEST 20th Anniversary Celebration on April 26th, 2012 provided the opportunity to do just that.

As the nearly 340 guests enjoyed refreshments and hors d’oeuvres upon their arrival, the photographs displayed around the ballroom allowed for conversation to flow easily. Alumna Erika Elko (Q14) was impressed by the fact that nearly 100 alumni were in attendance.  “It was great to see all of the cohorts over the last 20 years represented at the celebration. As a student, QUEST created such a strong sense of community. As an alum, I realized those feelings haven’t changed,” said Erika. Students from the newly-admitted Cohort 20 also had their first real taste of what QUEST is all about. Reflecting on the event, new QUESTer Matt Schmitt commented “It was a great opportunity to familiarize myself with current QUEST staff and my fellow Cohort 20 members. The fact that so many alums came out to celebrate QUEST shows that the whole three year experience is truly memorable and will be worth my while.”

Members of Cohort 20 enjoy their first QUEST event

Once guests had taken their seats, the program was led by Lauren Bailey and Femi Sokoya, both seniors from Cohort 17. With much wit and charm, Lauren and Femi provided a brief overview of the history of the IBM-TQ/QUEST program and also introduced some special guests. Dr. Judy Olian and Dr. Arjang Assad, who were both instrumental to the creation of the program and served as the initial Executive Directors, offered video messages and congratulations. “My favorite part of the event was hearing George Dieter, the former Dean of the School of Engineering, speak about the history of the QUEST program and how it came about through a proposal with IBM,” said Sophia Wu (Q18). Jessica O’Keefe (Q18) agreed: “What I enjoyed most about the 20th anniversary celebration was getting to hear more about the beginning of QUEST. The 20th anniversary really is a testament to the continued significance of the principles that QUEST has strived to teach its students from the very beginning.”

Lauren Bailey and Femi Sokoya present a gift to Dr. George Dieter

The seated dinner provided a great opportunity for students, alumni, and faculty and staff to compare their experiences in QUEST and share some favorite memories. It also allowed for excellent networking opportunities. Danny Laurence (Q19) commented that “the QUEST 20th Anniversary event struck the perfect balance between a social event and a professional one. I was able to meet members of the QUEST community I hadn’t met before, while also learning a lot about the history of the program.” Following dinner, the members of Cohort 17 were presented with QUEST medallions, which are worn with their academic regalia at graduation.  Assistant Director Nicole Coomber also provided some concluding remarks as the evening drew to a close.

Alumni from Cohort 14 pose for a photo

The evening truly was a great celebration of this program. From revisiting its roots as IBM-TQ in 1992 to experiencing its staying power as QUEST in 2012 and beyond, guests who attended the 20th Anniversary Celebration could appreciate the sense of community that is so vital to QUEST. Kevin Yue (Q7) thought that “the 20th Anniversary Celebration was a great time to be able to catch up with fellow cohort members as well as those from other cohorts.  Learning more about the history and the future of the QUEST program made me more proud to have been a part of it.” Joel Liebman (Q14) also offered some insightful thoughts about the evening: “The event was a wonderful celebration of all that the QUEST students, alumni, faculty, and staff have accomplished in the last 20 years and the impact the program has had on its people, the University, and the broader community.  Bringing together such a phenomenal group of QUEST contributors past and present was energizing and inspiring.” Although the celebration is behind us, we look forward to creating many more memories in the future as a QUEST community. We hope to see you in five years to celebrate a quarter-century of QUEST!

Reflections on Selections and Recruiting

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Article by Varisha Parikh (Q18)

Two years ago, I sat in my first QUEST Spring Information Session. I was an excited freshman who was so easily amazed by Dr. Bailey’s bowtie and his Testudo pants. I listened attentively to all the details about this interdisciplinary honors program. I watched a team of students present a really cool project they’d worked on. But when I left that night, what stuck with me was that each student was there because they wanted to spend time, effort, and energy promoting this program. I figured the only way I would find out why each student spoke about QUEST with so much passion was if I became a part of the program.

Two years and eight information sessions later, I am one of those students at the information sessions talking about why QUEST is so amazing. I could go on for hours about how QUEST students are so invested in the program, but just witnessing the entire recruiting and selections process is enough. QUEST is a unique organization because the program strives to teach students specific tools while also depending on students to support the program.

Each fall, the entire QUEST community rallies together for a semester and a half long journey towards finding the next generation of QUEST students. The effort begins with ambassador meetings and brainstorming sessions about how to effectively market our program and recruit the brightest freshmen. These meetings lead to successful information sessions in which the current QUEST members get a glimpse of the potential pool of applicants. The ever-increasing number of applications is pure evidence of these excellent recruiting methods. The QUEST Selections interviews are the culmination of all recruiting efforts. These two days bring together QUEST faculty, alumni, and students in their classy business casual to interact with fresh faces and determine if they have QUEST quality. Witnessing the structured interviews, involvement of all interviewers and the fun behavioral interview is like nothing anyone can describe.

Kevin Schoonover (Q11) and Max Cooper (Q19) prepare to interview candidates for Cohort 20

Recruiting and selections are only a fraction of what makes our program so amazing. The other events, activities, and facets of QUEST support the recruiting effort by demonstrating our uniqueness, strength, and motivation. After heading the recruiting effort this semester, I feel so much more connected to our program and everything we stand for. I finally understand why each student speaks of QUEST with so much reverence and passion. This past semester and a half journey has been the most fun and challenging experience. I thank the rest of the recruiting team and the QUEST staff for all of their ideas, efforts, and encouragement, and I thank the entire QUEST community for being such a great support system. As I look forward to senior year and beyond, I know I may or may not encounter QUEST quality people where I end up, but this experience and this family will always remain with me. I will always be that girl who can’t stop talking about QUEST.

Student Profile: Special QSO Edition

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Article by Dathan Scott (Q18)

CHUL KWON – Cohort 18

College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Champion

Chul is a very interesting gentleman. He’s been to at least 25 different countries. He recently returned from the QUEST trip to Brazil, which, he will tell you, was an amazing experience for him. A modern day Renaissance man, Chul is a Computer Science major wanting to do a lot with his opportunity as a member of QSO 2012. He has previously served on the Finance Committee Board of the Student Government Association (SGA) and was the Vice President of Finance and President of the LaPlata Hall RHA and Leonardtown Community RHA, respectively. Being a former intern of the Maryland Police Department, Chul is very good with both money and the law.

What else is there to know about Chul Kwon? Here’s a quick look at the things he prefers in life: “I enjoy traveling to different parts of the world and firmly believe that, unless it’s a business or family trip, a travel should be a learning experience. I prefer: Mongolia over France; a local restaurant over an upscale tourist restaurant; traveling by bus over traveling by taxi; a marketplace over a beach; and a long-term stay in one country over short-term stays in multiple countries (Europe).”

Chul has huge aspirations for the QUEST program and wants to make the QUEST name a nationwide brand! His passion runs deep for QUEST and, from my experience of being around him, he definitely knows his stuff.

DATHAN SCOTT – Cohort 18 

Robert H. Smith School of Business Champion

Writing about myself is a great challenge, so I will try to make it very enjoyable for you. I am a proud member of Cohort 18, and am an Accounting and Information Systems double major. I’ve had my battles with accounting, so I guess you can say I’m more Information Systems than Accounting. Outside of QUEST, I have been involved with numerous departments around campus like the Department of Transportation Services and the UMD Conferences and Visitor Service, holding various positions within each. I was a member of the UMD Men’s Club Basketball team my first year here, and I can say I’m probably the most competitive person you will ever meet.

I love people. I love talking…a lot. I love laughing. I love having fun. I have big dreams for myself and for QUEST. Expansion and influence are the terms that I always mention when talking about QUEST. What if a group of students started their own consulting company? I think we have the right pieces of the puzzle for this. I’m all about action. I’m a big food guy as well. Give me just about anything and I’ll eat it for sure. I would love to meet as many people as I can through QUEST. The more people I know, the greater things that can happen. That’s how I see it.

That’s your new QSO 2012 in a nutshell. If you have any questions, concerns, funny stories, or just want to talk in general do not be afraid to talk to anyone of us or anyone in the QUEST community for that matter. We are all friendly, and we all want to make each other’s lives better. In the words of our Cohort 18 Champion, “QSO isn’t just a ThinkTank. It’s a DoTank. Help us think, and we shall do!”