Meet The Summer Interns – David Cui
The Plano Chamber is thankful to our local corporate partners for allowing us the opportunity to host TWO rising, Plano West Senior interns this summer through the Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program. “Combining Plano’s vibrant business community with a nationally-recognized school district, the Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program is a paid summer internship program for rising juniors and seniors attending a Plano public school or residing in Plano.” At the Plano Chamber our vision is to lead the greater Plano community in promoting a strong and prosperous business environment, an educated and skilled workforce, and a sustainable regional economy. We can not think of a better way to work towards this goal than by participating in this program and providing a learning environment to local high school leaders.
The Plano Chamber would like to welcome and spotlight our first intern, David Cui. Heather Wagemann, our Membership Engagement Manager, asked David, a few questions about his community involvement, future plans, and what he hopes to learn this summer interning at the Plano Chamber:
1. What would you like readers to know about YOU and why you chose to participate in the Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program?
One of my core beliefs is that experience is the best teacher, which is why whenever I’m lacking motivation or in need of inspiration, I’m constantly trying new things. One of those things is the Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program, and I chose to participate in it because I wanted to gain work experience in my passion, business. What Plano Mayor’s does for high school students like me who are soon to enter the workforce is give work experience and enable learning about how an office runs. The wide range of fields of work an intern can specialize in under the program caters to all types of people, who can be interested in medicine and coding to nonprofit work and hotel management. There truly is an option for everyone under the program and gaining experience in a field I’m passionate about is a gift.
2. Tell us about your community involvement.
It’s important to give back to the community, and I particularly appreciate Plano for how tight knit the community is. As an Asian-American student who survived the pandemic as a freshman, my mental health took a shot, and I struggled in my freshman year of high school. With my friends and family also dramatically affected by the pandemic and the mental health awareness that swept over social media, I realized that I wasn’t alone in my setbacks, and that there are several key issues that plague the Asian-American community when it comes to mental health. With this, I decided to start a mental health nonprofit, YAAMHA, geared towards remedying issues within the Asian-American community, trying to encourage seeking therapy no matter how big or small the issue, alleviating students of stress in a high-pressure environment, and giving back to the community through volunteering. Change can start from anywhere, and addressing the elephant in the room for the Asian-American community is how I want to help those around me.
3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Since I was young, my dream has always been to find a career in law, so in five years, I see myself working an accounting or finance-related job out of college to support myself while I prepare for law school. As a child when we still lived in Louisiana, stability was something our family lacked, and my sisters who went to college accumulated debt pursuing careers in the medical field. With this job, I want to support my family and myself so that we can live comfortably and sustain hobbies on the side so that I’m still pursuing my passions while also maintaining financial stability.
4. What do you hope to learn while interning at the Plano Chamber of Commerce?
At the Plano Chamber of Commerce, I hope to learn a number of things about office and work life, corporate culture, and business management, development, relations, and financials. With such experienced staff, high corporate connections, and large events, I think there will be an abundance of opportunities to learn about the technical aspects of corporate culture, but also I hope to refine the soft skills I already have and pick up on more through the experiences and connections I make.
