Leemkun’s Story: An Intern Who Teaches College Students

Leemkun Pho loves technology, but he did not always know what he wanted to do with it.

Currently a student at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College, his love of computers began in middle school and was fueled by the special relationship he has with his dad. His father’s journey as a self-taught learner, constantly challenging himself to learn more about technology, really instilled in Leemkun the same fire.  

“I realized that I could be like my dad but better in technology, and it drove me into programming,” he said. “Now we are doing a project of making my computer faster and stronger.

“I love creating stuff. When others see what I can really make, they are astounded by what I do in a short amount of time. I love to amaze other people with what I can make and help other people with what I can build and do.”

“I love to amaze other people with what I can make and help other people with what I can build and do.”

Leemkun originally tried a musical path and was not very keen on it. Then, he said, he tried “being a scientist once.” He reflects on the decision to move on saying, “Science was very math-based, but I wondered, would it make me happy?” 

During his sophomore year, he was looking for some jobs to help himself and his family when one of his friends told him to look into CareerConnet. He approached his counselor, who persuaded him to work on his resume and sign up for the interviews for internships.

The first summer, he interned at XCEL energy as a circuit/planning engineer.

“I looked at all the circuits of all the blueprints, and that experience was very groundbreaking,” he said. “It gave me a lot of knowledge and I saw that I didn’t want to be a civil engineer, but that I wanted to be out in the field.”

“I saw that I didn’t want to be a civil engineer, but that I wanted to be out in the field.”

However, his second internship at InWorks exposed him to prototyping groundbreaking research. For example, recycling PLA (polylactic acid) material made from cornstarch.

“I never thought engineering can be that detailed and related to our economy,” he said. “It also helped me see that as an individual, as myself, I can be doing something very important. I’m doing something big even though I’m a 16-year-old, and might be able to discover something that scientists haven’t found out yet.”

“I’m doing something big even though I’m a 16-year-old, and might be able to discover something that scientists haven’t found out yet.”

Just this past month, Leemkun found himself charged with teaching a group of 35 visiting college sophomores and freshmen about 3D printing.

“Teaching students just a couple of years ahead of me, as part of my internship, has given me great knowledge of what I’m capable of accomplishing,” he said. “Before my internships, I was a very shy person. I found out I can be a very cooperative and interactive.”