Quincy University’s Quest Center, led by the director of experiential learning Kristen Liesen, supports, coordinates, and implements new learning and growth opportunities within the school, community, and the world after college.

The Quest Center stands for Quincy University Experiential Study. The goal of this program is exactly what its acronym expresses; learning to find your path in the category of whatever future job you are pursuing. Experiential learning connects knowledge, experience, action, and reflection, and engages students in various kinds of transformative activity.

“Quincy allows all students the opportunity and privilege of resources to understand the further than classes questions. The Quest Center is a broad concept of everything that is experiential in a college student’s career. Really our offices and the department are specific to all things career,” Liesen said.

Career services, credit for prior learning, internships, study abroad, undergraduate research, and service-learning are all points of supporting projects that the department provides.

The Quest Center assists all students whether, in an undergraduate program or graduate program, they can also help teachers, faculty, and staff members in finding students to assist them.

The Quest Center emphasizes meeting people where they are.

Meeting people where they are means the help they need is the assistance they’ll get. The Quest Center is open to all ages and available for a student’s specific needs.

“Everyone’s experience will not be the same with us,” Leisen said. “I might work with a freshman because they are unsure as to what major in because they don’t know what they want to do in their life so we’ll take them through a series of career path testings. Or I could work with a junior who is trying to find a job shadow or internship. We are just here for when the real-life questions that need answering and you need assistance in discovering them.”

From assistance in career path finding to resumes, to interview clothes, the Quest Center is there to cover it all. The commitment of the Quest staff is the stand-out factor for the department.

The office works to network with the surrounding community and around the nation. Networking is a huge part of what the department does for students looking to find a job right after graduation.

Kristen Leisen and Sara Philips are responsible for the success of the Quest Center and the furthering success of students in the program.

Quincy University is a Franciscan university with many roots in its traditions such as values of individual experience and relationships throughout the community. While the Quest Center works to help find career paths and resume help, the center also takes care of the service-learning experiences. Whether that’s turning in hours, finding places to volunteer, or team ministries.

“Using the Quest Center at QU was a great tool that I am extremely glad I took advantage of. They helped me with all my internship and community service questions. I always knew I would get the help I needed when I went,” said former Quincy University student Julianna Basler.

Another unique aspect of the Quest Center is the underutilized career closet. The semi-recent installment of the career closet originated for students that we’re unaware of the attire dress code for things like interviews. The closet is filled with tons of lightly used or brand new business clothing. The clothes are available to all students.

Just like all other Quest Center assistance, the career closet is located in the SSC and can be accessed through Kristen Liesen.