The Quest Continues

Ariela Nazar-Rosen, Wellesley ’16, misses the energy of live theater during this pandemic. As an actor and educator, she has taken the road less travelled by QuestBridge Alumni, but feels hopeful about integrating the spirit and creativity of theater into educational spaces, and is excited by the possibility of the arts to set an example for more systemic change.

This year has been particularly tough on the teaching profession, but as a culturally relevant high school teacher, QuestBridge Alum Anthony Downer, UChicago ’17, believes in empowering students to see education as freedom.  He shares how he defines success in the classroom, and what steps him and other local educators are taking to ensure greater equity and justice for all students.

After several attempts applying, QuestBridge Alum Judy Lee, USC ’17 finally landed the rotational product marketing job she desired at Google. She reflects on the importance of asking yourself what really matters, while balancing it with the inevitable external pressures of job searching, as she defines the next steps in her career path.

Having grown up with health promoters in his family, a profession not common in the U.S., Rubén Monárrez, Haverford ’14, was no stranger to careers in health. But he took a different path, and pursued a medical degree at Harvard Medical School, and is figuring out what the rest of his path looks like as he starts his orthopedic surgery residency.

As the design lead at a small start-up company, QuestBridge Alum Kassandra Randazzo (University of Notre Dame ’12) has her hand in everything from user experience to brand and marketing to product strategy. The knowledge she’s picked up over the years (and her continual learning) as a visual designer has prepared her well as a design generalist, but there are also times when her “inner critic” has challenged her. 

When Carlos Rivas, a 2012 graduate of Claremont McKenna College, was an undergrad, he didn’t know what he wanted to do as a career, but just wanted to make sure he graduated. Fast forward a few years, and he has made it his central goal – to help other students make sure they are on track for college graduation. Armed with several graduate degrees, he is forging his path to help students succeed.

Mentorship and networking can be scary to any young professional, but taking the leap and reaching out to mentors or colleagues can really benefit your career, as it did for Christa Nutor, Emory ’16. As a finance analyst at the same technology company for the past few years, she’s been able to make new connections and has also gained invaluable skills which she hopes will pave the way to a future in the C-suite. 

“I thought it was my calling to be a classroom teacher”, says EJ Mitchell. But sometimes life takes you on another course, and various experiences helped this Amherst grad understand where his skills and strengths lie. As an educational consultant in living in China for the past few years, EJ has learned a lot about what he values about his work, how he views work-life balance, and the principles that drive his career path. He shares valuable tips for anyone, especially QuestBridge Scholars, thinking seriously about living and working abroad.

The daughter of Hmong refugees who fled persecution, QuestBridge Alum Mai Yer Xiong , Wellesley '14, grew up knowing she wanted to serve marginalized populations, and through numerous fellowships and programs, she’s found her place in the field of international development.  She offers a glimpse of some of the challenges of working in this field, and how she navigated her way into a position in the Foreign Service.

Love animals? Becoming a veterinarian is the dream of many animal lovers, but the path to becoming a vet can be a difficult one, with a high debt-to-student ratio, an extremely low acceptance rate, and many on-the-job struggles. QuestBridge Alum Brandon Bell, Stanford ’14, made his childhood dream of being a vet a reality, and explains the highs and lows of the job, what it’s like to be a vet during COVID-19, and what all potential vets should know before they consider this career path.