Ryan Cheung, a Cal Poly Pomona alumnus, was recently accepted for an internship with the well-known music instruments manufacturer, Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA).
Yamaha is one of the world’s largest musical instrument manufacturers with a highly competitive internship program, according to a press release from Yamaha issued Oct. 30.
“Established in 1960 as Yamaha International Corporation, YCA offers a large assortment of high-quality musical instruments and audio products to U.S. customers,” states the YCA website.
(Courtesy of Alexa Kantor)
Cheung is a recent graduate from CPP, having graduated in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing management.
The three-month internship program offered by YCA had a lot of talented and accomplished applicants, according to the Yamaha press release of Oct. 30. Since Cheung didn’t expect to be accepted for the role because of the competition he was up against, he was beyond excited when he received the news that he had been accepted for the role.
The department that hired Cheung is responsible for marketing aspects for wind and string instruments and any accessory products. In general, Cheung is currently learning different types of strategies that can help strengthen the message that the YCA sends to its customers in the U.S. and learning how to find practical business solutions.
Cheung is excited for this role, as it combines both his field of study and passion for music. He is also a cello player and played for the Cal Poly Pomona Philharmonic Orchestra as the second-chair cellist under the direction of Janine Riveire.
Cheung also volunteered as a cello tutor at his local middle school and church community groups as part of an orchestra program at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). He also volunteered as a mentor to both help his community and represent the Mt. SAC program.
“Ryan’s passion for serving his community with tutor programs and his deep involvement with student orchestras really impressed us and made him a great choice for the program,” said Brian Petterson, senior manager at Winds & Strings, YCA, in the press release.
Cheung has advice for students who are looking for an internship at the moment and would like to land a competitive internship like his. “During college you should start thinking about what you would want to do after college …. Take advantage of every single resource that you have. Don’t be afraid to get rejected and always keep applying because you never know what’s going to come your way. Don’t stress about it,” Cheung said.
The three-month internship that Cheung was hired for will run through December and will take place in Buena Park, where the company’s headquarters is located.