November 24, 2020
In turn with Chuu Mong
In turn is a series that highlights the interns and internship opportunities found within the College of Business (COB).
In 2021, Chuu Mong plans to graduate from the ECU and the College of Business with her fourth degree. She currently is a management information systems major.
This is where we usually try to summarize a little about our intern candidate, but we found Mong to be very forthright about her very inspirational story. We also think all of us can learn something from her.
Enjoy the read.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and I originally went to ECU when I graduated from high school back in 2004. I struggled with illness and did not do well for a few semesters, so I dropped out. I later went to ultrasound school (a very competitive program) and was top of my class. I was forced to retire because ultrasound is very hard on wrists, and my wrists became too damaged to continue working.
I went back to school to get a more versatile, less wrist-damaging degree and received a data science and programming support services associate degree from Wake Tech. I then decided to become a project manager, so I transferred to ECU and the College of Business to get a bachelor’s to improve my career marketability.
Because of those two bad semesters 15 years ago, I had an overall GPA of 3.31 (my degree GPA is 3.96), so I do not qualify for any scholarships or financial aid. Despite having no financial assistance, I am going to be graduating debt-free thanks to my internship. I have worked full time while going to school full time both at Wake Tech and the COB. During this time, I also had a child who is now two-years-old.
What matters is that I do not give up, despite the struggles I face.
Tell us more about your internship
I learned about the SAS Technical Support position in my second semester at Wake Tech. My Python/SAS teacher heard about the opening and recommended it to me.
What earned me the internship were not my degrees, experience or even my GPA; it was my story. The hiring manager was impressed with my grit and optimism despite the major disappointments I had faced, and he offered me this position. Unlike many internships, which last only a summer, I have this position until I graduate. I have been here for three years now. I work full time, year-round, with a team of fellow interns that provide installation/setup support for SAS’ free educational offerings, as well as account registration.
Why did you choose to do an internship?
I was not being given any financial aid or scholarships. I was desperate for employment so I could afford school without going into debt. For me, an internship was a necessity for survival.
How did the COB prepare you to be the chosen candidate?
I became an intern at SAS before I began to attend ECU, but I am eager to apply the COB’s skills to my post-graduation career!
What did the internship mean to you? This internship has given me the resources and flexibility to go to school more than full time to get my degree as quickly as possible and be prepared for the workforce. In 2020, I will have taken 15 classes total, thanks to that winter semester.
How are you better prepared for your career with this internship under your belt?
Internships not only teach you the technical skills associated with the positions you fill, but they provide valuable experience and insight into what it is like to work in the real world.
I am not a typical student. I am 35 years old, and this is my fourth degree and second career. I have a mortgage, a kid, and many things going on that an average student does not have to deal with…yet.
For a young person, an internship is a chance to see and experience the working world and find where they want to fit into it. Spending three years in technical support has provided me great insight into what it is like to work in that arena. So I now know if tech support is a position I am interested in when I graduate, and it (the internship) also has given me a chance to sample SAS as a company to see if that is even a place I want to work two, five or 20 years down the road. Just as an internship is a ‘sample’ for a company to decide if they like you as a return hire, an internship is also a chance for you to sample job positions and companies to find where you want to end up. An internship is not a marriage, so play the field and apply to all internships you can! Not only does it pad your resume, but it gives you a chance to know where your heart truly lies.
- Categories:
- career
- Management Information Systems