As a new year begins, 13 members of the freshman class are being
given the opportunity to hone their leadership skills through a new
program called QUEST.

In its first year of existence at SLU, QUEST has brought
together a group of students with the hope of turning them into
future leaders on campus.

QUEST was developed by Mike Herman and Janelle Densberger,
interns for the Leadership Office in Student Life, as a supplement
to the Barnes and Noble Scholars Program that was discontinued last
year.

“Our goal was to satisfy the need to create leaders,” Herman
said. The program aims to take students who were strong leaders in
high school and help them continue their growth at SLU.

A main objective of the program is to help students gain
leadership through experience.

“With QUEST, students develop skills and put them into action,”
Densberger said.

“It’s taking leadership to the next level.”

According to QUEST participant John-Paul Nigro, “It’s about
being a part of a team that together can accomplish some good.”

One of the main activities of the group is to develop an
experiential learning project that will better SLU.

At the moment, one possibility is a student-run coffee shop on
campus.

In addition to the experiential learning project, QUEST members
will also participate in the Fall Leadership Conference and Make a
Difference Day, as well as being given special recognition at the
end-of-the-year Leadership Awards Banquet.

When not participating in larger activities, the members meet
every other week, when they discuss what it means to be a leader
and future ways of taking action on campus.

“We discuss the characteristics of a leader and from there, try
to develop those within ourselves. We identify our strengths and
weaknesses and try to build up the areas where we are weak,” said
member Kate Squires.

The students were first nominated by their SLU academic advisor,
and then they went through an application process.

The 13 selected members are: Tony Basile, Erin Bradley, Jason
Genta, Osato Iyamu, Becca Kuemmel, Abby Mackenzie, Natalie Mergler,
John Paul Nigro, Patrick Reich, Kate Squires, Jay G. Strozdas,
Breanne Walton and Stephen T. Yau.