So my favorite Viterbi Org is QuEST, or Queers in Engineering, Science, and Technology if you want a mouthful. As the name suggests, it’s a club for LGBTQ+ STEM majors, primarily engineers. QuEST was actually founded last year by another VSA, and she wrote about her experience creating the club here. (Bonus: I’m in the cover photo for that blog, accepting our Rookie of the Year Award last year!)
I’m currently Vice President of Corporate Affairs in QuEST, which means I’m in charge of bringing companies and recruiters in for different events. This upcoming semester we’re bringing in a few companies like Disney and Microsoft to come talk to our members about their companies. I also helped start a one-on-one mentorship program with out Northrop Grumman professionals. The club as a whole also hosts social events or different informative panels for our members. The first meeting I went to was actually a Study Abroad panel, and we ended up staying for like two hours just talking as a group.
I got involved with QuEST early on, actually at Viterbi Luau. I made a lot of really good friends through QuEST, and then naturally stepped into a leadership role that same semester. As a member, I’ve gotten a lot of cool opportunities, like a free conference this fall, or an industry mentor, but my biggest takeaway from QuEST comes from being on executive board. Planning different events and programs requires its own brand of skills that school just can’t teach. Beyond that spending time thinking about the impact we can make on incoming students, and the help we can offer them gives me a more positive outlook on life overall.
And while I don’t think these skills are club-specific, this happens to be where I’ve found the most learning experiences, which is why my fave Viterbi Org is QuEST.
If you want to see what we’re currently up to,check out our Facebook Page!
