QUEST
QUEST
First-Year Leadership and College Transition Experience
QUEST is designed to help you create connections across campus with other first-year students and upper class peer mentors, build your confidence and develop and practice key leadership behaviors and skills, all while feeling comfortable in your new home here at UD.
This selective program is open to 105 students who demonstrate an interest in learning about leadership and who show a desire to thrive through engagement in the UD community.
Details and application for QUEST 2026 will be available in early May.
Email Matthew Creasy with questions at mcreasy@udel.edu.
QUEST Summer Leadership Experience: youtube.com/watch?v=IlcrS8lRfQk
What to Expect
QUEST participants engage in activities both on and off campus. They’ll hear from keynote speakers, experience campus resources and build bonds to last a lifetime. A day trip to Sandy Hill camp will include outdoor activities, such as rope courses, boat races and an evening bonfire. Participants also socialize with other first-year students, join leadership workshops, identify values, set goals, engage in community service and more.
Outcomes
Participants will:
- Identify a set of personal values
- Create a list of SMART goals for the fall semester
- Identify their personal leadership style
- Learn to work effectively as part of a diverse team
- Articulate concepts of various leadership models
- Learn to face fears, take risks and confront challenges
- Identify tools for success at UD
Our staff is committed to three overarching outcomes for you as a QUEST participant:
- Helping you adjust to college life at University of Delaware.
- Creating a sense of belonging and friendship networks across campus.
- Exploring your leadership potential to effectively step into and out of leadership processes while at UD and beyond!
2026 QUEST Student Coordinators
Hey! My name is Lukas Demskis, and I am a senior from Newtown, Pennsylvania. I am a kinesiology major, and I plan to go to PT school post-grad. On campus I am currently involved in the Blue Hen Leadership Program, Pre-Professional PT community, I am part of the UD Men’s Volleyball team and a member of the team executive board. In my free time I enjoy rock climbing, going to the gym, playing all types of sports, listening to all sorts of music, and hanging out with friends. The QUEST program made my transition to college a super smooth experience and helped me find a great group of friends early on. I’m super grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the program, and I can’t wait to meet you all!
Hi everyone! My name is Aidan Lam, and I am so excited to be a Student Coordinator for the upcoming Quest Year! I am a Senior, History and Political Science Major from New York City. I am also a site lead for the University Alternative Breaks Winter program. Outside of the lead and serve office, I work at the library and love playing basketball. I love exercising, reading, and hanging out with friends! After being a Quester and Peer mentor, Quest has helped me so much in college and allowed me to meet some of my closest friends. It's a truly remarkable program, and it's been an honor to be a part of it. I can’t wait to meet everyone and have a blast this summer!
Hi everyone!! My name is Marykate Sharkey (she/her/hers), and I am so excited to be one of your Student Coordinators this year! I am a senior majoring in Leadership with a concentration in Nonprofit Management, and I am from Atlantic Highlands, NJ. On campus, I am involved in all things Leadership & Service — UDaB (first as a participant, then a site lead, and then the Social Media & Marketing Chair), the Leadership & Service Office as a Student Ambassador, QUEST PM turned Stu-Co, serving as a TA, and participating as both a Siegfried Fellow and a Community Engagement Scholar. When I am not studying, you will probably find me spending time with friends and family, cheering on UD hockey, baking something sweet, reading a romance novel, planning little get-togethers, or writing little notes for people. I love going on random little side quests and capturing every moment. QUEST genuinely changed my life. It gave me a home here at UD, taught me how to be myself, helped me succeed in college, and surrounded me with a support system I am endlessly grateful for. I can not wait to meet all of you, and I hope QUEST helps you get one step closer to finding your home away from home at UD!
2026 QUEST Peer Mentors
Hi! My name is Sabrina Ayad. I’m a first year Nursing major with a minor in Public Policy. I'm from Middletown, Delaware, and I’m so excited to be part of the QUEST community. On campus, I’m involved in the Student Nurses Organization and Lori’s Hands.
Hi!! My name is Jordyn Blachar (she/her/hers) and I am so excited to be a Peer Mentor! I’m a junior from Westchester, NY with a Human Services major and Public Policy minor. Here on campus, I am a site lead for UD Alternative Breaks, and am involved with UDance, Hillel, Blue Hen Leadership Program, First Year Seminar, Honors College, Community Engagement Scholars, and I’m a Tour Guide! In my free time, you’ll find me going on walks around campus, listening to music, reading a good book, or hanging out with friends. Participating in QUEST was the best decision I have ever made, and some of my closest friends and best memories from college have come from this incredible program. I absolutely cannot wait to meet you and be a part of your QUEST experience!
Hi! My name is Alessandra Broussard and I am so excited to be your QUEST Peer Mentor! I am a Junior from Delaware and I am double majoring in Biology and International Relations. On campus, I am involved in UDAB through the Leadership and Service office, research with the Center of Research Education and Social Policy, and I am a part of the Honors College. I love hanging out with friends, traveling anywhere and everywhere, reading in my free time, and rock climbing! I am beyond excited to meet you guys and see how we can grow together! I have gained meaningful relationships and knowledge through QUEST and I could not have asked for a better family going into college!
Hi friends! My name is Lydia Burgess, and I am a sophomore Kinesiology major from Rockville, MD, which is right outside of DC! At UD, I am on the Club Women's Soccer team, as well as involved in Christian Challenge, various intramural sports, and UDaB (University of Delaware Alternative Breaks). In my free time, I love to listen to music, hang out with friends, go on walks/runs, snowboard, and go to the beach. I am so excited to be a QUEST Peer Mentor! QUEST is the best program I have been a part of at UD. I gained so many great memories, friends, and communities that make UD feel a lot more like home! Being a part of QUEST is such a great experience that I would recommend to everyone. I am so excited to meet you all!
Hello my name is Aaron Donovan, and I am stoked to be a Peer Mentor for QUEST this year! I am a sophomore business undeclared major with interests in economics, sport management, and leadership. I come from a small town called Winterport, Maine. Outside of QUEST, I play Ice Hockey for UD and am a member of Sport Management Club. I am very passionate about being active, whether that’s sports, the gym, or anything outside. I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends, listening to my favorite music, and cooking the best home cooked meals. QUEST gave me so many friends and positive memories, and I cannot wait to be involved as a Peer Mentor this summer!
Hello! My name is Maddie Durbin (she/her/hers) and I am so elated to be a Peer Mentor this year! I am a Junior from Middletown, Delaware. I am majoring in Cognitive Science, Pre-Speech Pathology and minoring in Disability Studies and Neuroscience. On campus, I am a member of Epsilon Eta, UD Club Sailing Team and National Student Speech Language Hearing Association. I am also a Research Assistant at a lab here on campus! Lastly, I participated in the 2025 Winter UDAB program and am working on completing the Blue Hen Leadership Program. In my spare time, I absolutely love reading and playing some cozy video games. QUEST had such a huge impact on my first year at UD, it set me up with resources, confidence and a support system that is still invaluable today. I can’t wait to meet you all and see what you accomplish here at UD!
Hi everyone! My name is Katie Friedman (she/her) and I am SO excited to be a QUEST Peer Mentor this year! I'm a junior majoring in Nutrition and Medical Sciences and I'm from Seattle, WA. On campus, I am a UD Alternative Breaks Site Lead, a Blue Hen Ambassador, and a member of University Singers. Outside of school, you can find me staying active in the gym, listening to music nonstop, and getting coffee with friends, and I love spending time in the outdoors. I truly cannot imagine college without QUEST. It helped so much with the initial transition to college life, and I've made countless life-long friends and get to be a part of an inclusive, loving community centered around leadership, teamwork, and belonging. QUEST has truly made UD feel like home! I can’t wait to meet all of you!
Hey everyone! My name is Jaime Kraus (she/her/hers). I am a Junior from Norristown, PA, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. On campus, I’m on the Varsity Women’s Rowing Team, an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and participate in the Blue Hen Leadership Program within the Lead and Serve office. During my free time, you can find me listening to music, playing my guitar, hanging out with friends, and binging my favorite TV shows. One of my all-time favorites is The Office! QUEST helped ease the transition to college, while also providing a space to grow into the leader I am today. This program gave me so many tools that have helped me put my dreams into action, while also connecting me with so many amazing people and some of my closest friends at school. I'm incredibly excited to be one of your Peer Mentors. I can’t wait to meet you all and watch you grow this semester.
Hi My name is Shawn Lavery! I am a Sophomore Kinesiology Major from Mount Olive, New Jersey and a member of the Honors College. Here at The University of Delaware I am involved in Professional Greek Life, Exercise Science Club, Best Buddies, and Christian Challenge. I love all things sports, and I am interested in being a Physical Therapist. In my free time I love watching football, going to the gym and hanging out with my friends. QUEST has brought so many great things to my life including friends, leadership experience, confidence, a great college transition, and so much more. I can't wait to work with and meet you all!
Hey everyone! My name is Kieran Morris, and I'm from Middletown, Delaware. I'm a Nutrition & Dietetics and Health Behavior Science double major, and I'm passionate about learning how what we eat impacts health, performance, and overall well-being. While on campus, I enjoy getting involved wherever I can. Sometimes that means connecting with new people, joining service opportunities, or participating in wellness and leadership programs. In my free time, I love biking, coin collecting, chatting it up with anyone, exploring new places to eat, and spending time outdoors. I also enjoy working out, listening to music, and going on side quests with friends. Applying to and participating in QUEST has been such a meaningful experience for me already. This program has helped me build a community, step out of my comfort zone, and start shaping the kind of student I want to be at UD. I'm really looking forward to meeting you all and making great memories together!
Hey Everyone! My name is Jack Ra and I am so excited to be one of your peer mentors this year! I am a Junior from Howell, NJ, majoring in Sports Management. Besides being a member of the Blue Hen Leadership Program, I am also involved with the on-campus intramural sports and Professional Greek Life. In my free time I love listening to music, watching/playing sports, going to the beach and binge-watching a new show/movie, late night Canes runs and yapping. QUEST has provided me with an eased transition into my college experience as a freshman by promoting a sense of family, a safe space to grow as a leader, build confidence and share lifelong laughs and memories with the people that I love. Participating in QUEST was an amazing experience that changed my life in so many ways. I can’t wait to meet you all so soon!!!
Hey! My name is Nick Riggi and I’m from Harrington, Delaware. I’m a Junior Honors Criminal Justice and Economics double major with a minor in Forensic Science, aspiring to be a Delaware State Trooper. On campus, you can find serving on UD Alternative Break Programs, protecting campus as a University of Delaware Police Department Cadet, and discussing criminal cases with the True Crime Club. I’m also a 1743 Scholar of the University of Delaware Distinguished Scholars Program. In my free time, I love to run, exercise, play volleyball and rock out to music. Thanks to QUEST, I was able to cruise smoothly through my freshman year with lots of friends and skills to support me. QUEST was an incredible experience, and I’m so glad you all get to participate in it, too! Can’t wait to meet you all!
Hi! My name is Jahnese Session, and I am a sophomore International Relations major from Burlington County, NJ, with minors in Arabic and Statistical Data Analytics. Here at UD, I intern at the Biden Institute, serve as a Delaware Diplomat, and am a Community Engagement Scholar. I am also the founder of the RSO People Over Politics and stay involved with the Leadership and Service Office through QUEST and UDaB.
In my free time, I enjoy reading dystopian fiction, going to the gym, spending time with friends, and watching political debates. My participation in QUEST truly set me up with a group of people I could lean on when things got rough during my first year. I don’t know where I’d be without it! I’m so excited to meet you and to see how much you grow through QUEST and during your first year at UD!
Hi Everyone ! My name is Justin and I am a junior, honors chemical engineering major, pursuing minors in biochemical engineering and business administration, from Harleysville, PA. On campus I am involved with the leadership and service office, completing the certificate programs and participating in UDaB! I love to go for runs up at White Clay Park and play volleyball and basketball intramurals. I also am a pianist for a local piano bar! QUEST was one of the biggest highlights of my freshman year as it introduced me to so many great people before school even started! I can’t wait to share this great experience with all of you!
Hi!! My name is Nora Vallarino (she/her/hers) and I am SO excited to be a peer mentor! I am a Honors sophomore from Boston and I am double majoring in Human Physiology and Spanish Studies. I am also an Access:Ability Scholar and minoring in Disability Studies. On campus, I am involved with the Leadership and Service Office, Christian Challenge, Best Buddies, and intramural sports. In my free time, I love hanging out with friends, hiking, playing cards, or doing anything active! Doing QUEST was by far the best decision I ever made. QUEST provided a safe space to grow, gain confidence, and meet friends before college even started. I met the BEST people and some of my closest friends through this amazing program. I can’t wait to meet you guys and see all the incredible things you do!
All Peer Mentors are Certified Peer Educators (CPE), as designed by NASPA, the association for Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
CPE training helps peer educators develop leadership skills to be able to successfully create and implement campus programs. The training includes eight modules covering the role of peer education, helping peers make a behavior change, listening skills, response and referral skills, how to take action and intervene, recognizing the role of diversity and inclusivity, programming and presentation skills, self-care and group dynamics.
Connect
Perkins Student Center, 325 Academy Street, 302-831-6364 | Trabant University Center, 17 West Main Street, 302-831-2633 student-centers@udel.edu