Lan Ying

Year: Sophomore

Majors: Computer Science

Internship: Game Developer Intern at FriendsLearn in Chennai, India

What: Ying programmed rewards and other features in an app that uses gaming to teach children good nutrition.

For Lan Ying, an internship at U-M alumnus Bhargav Prakash’s game development company FriendLearn in Chennai, India was more than just a chance to experience life abroad. It was time to explore whether computer science is the right major for her.

“Before I applied to this internship, I was unsure what computer science-related field I wanted to look into,” Ying says. “But this experience definitely made me really interested in game development.”

At FriendsLearn, Ying works as a programmer for a mobile game about nutrition education. She creates in-game rewards that help children learn how to make healthy eating choices. It’s a major growth experience for Ying: by day, her colleagues depend on her to do vital work for the company, and by night, she’s learning how to navigate a new city and language.