David Shenghan Lai, an America-born Chinese (ABC) formerly employed at Hong Kong Phoenix Satellite Television, is now is an international student of CUC’s master’s degree program in New Media. Quitting his job in New York to continue his studies in Beijing, he pursues life as a global citizen, travelling the span of half the planet for work and for study.
Taking Chances
In our first impression, David is an easy-going and earnest man. At the time of our interview, David had just landed back in China from the United States which meant that he suffered from jet lag. Despite his exhaustion, his enthusiasm to undertake the interview alongside his body language did not show it. In fact, he quickly took out a paper scrawled with notes that he had prepared prior to the interview. At the beginning of the interview, his rosy cheeks, his peaceful voice, and his simple t-shirt were not indicators of David’s restless heart, which was only revealed as the conversation advanced.
In the beginning of his undergraduate studies, David pursued Psychology for one year in Pennsylvania. He soon realized that psychology did not interest him, so without hesitation, he left Pennsylvania and transferred to a different program in a different university. In a new study environment, he found what he loved. In the end, David graduated with an undergraduate degree in Digital Design from a university in Florida. At CUC, he is majoring New Media, and he really enjoys illustration and digital painting on his off-time.
Before entering CUC for further study David had worked as a cameraman and an editor for 2 years at Hong Kong Phoenix Satellite Television (HKPST). While it did have a branch office in New York, HKPST was a small company run by only 7 employees at that time. “When I was offered the internship at Phoenix TV, I thought it was interesting and I decided to take it. The advantages of Phoenix is the opportunities that you could get out and travel to places that special events happened.”
Working at HKPST provided David with a lot of useful experience, but when there an opportunity to move forward arises, he welcomes every change.
“My supervisor in Phoenix offered this chance to me in 2015 and I thought I should go out, go to China and take the master’s course. Of course, it also comes with two-year’s new experience, you know, I am the kind of person likes travel and do more new stuff.”
