PRC. These three letters have either been seen or heard by almost everyone on campus, whether it was because of a sticker at a bus stop, a tag on a shirt or a campus event. However, PRC (People’s Republic of Clothing) is not a local company that found success overnight, but rather a student-run company started by senior David Fung that creates opportunities for students to gain experience in a real business before tackling the real world.

“PRC got started with me and my friend Lars [Lee],” Fung said. “It was just our desire to basically do our own thing and turn our passion into something marketable and actually like a real future … something we could actually do.”

The challenge of running a business while going through college was a factor that Fung considered, but he eventually decided that being in school would benefit him more than it would hurt him.

“When you’re in college, you don’t bear as much risk,” Fung said. “We definitely took that into consideration, and it was just something we wanted to get going.”

While most sophomores aren’t sure what’s in store for them after graduation, Fung didn’t want to wait to find out. Instead, he took the knowledge from his business classes and, rather than just using it to pass tests, he turned it into a business that grew steadily from the time he was a sophomore to what it is now: a small but thriving clothing company. Along the way, Fung’s company has also inspired other students to grab hold of their own futures.

Senior Kiwon Suh started designing shirts for PRC this year and has already seen growth from the experience.

“PRC kind of got me into the door of the clothing designing world,” Suh said.

The student was also able to add his designs from PRC to his portfolio.

“I got hooked up with Manik Skateboards, and I’m interning with them right now,” he said.

Fung doesn’t just consider PRC a business; instead, he views it more as a student organization, creating an outlet for students or anyone who has a passion for something and wants to explore it.

“When people enter college their freshman year, everyone is kind of looking for a system to plug themselves into and that’s what they run with, but some people never find that, ” he said. “For at least the people who have gotten to be a part of PRC, we’ve provided something that I think students have been asking for.”

For those who are interested in joining the PRC team, Fung said that the only requirements are dedication and being ready to work and have fun.

Fung is already working on a new business venture, Roosevelt Design, another T-shirt company that does custom designs upon request from different clients. With school, a start-up rapping career and the occasional comedy stand-up routine, Fung still hasn’t let go of his passion for clothing.

Reach reporter Jennifer Au at arts@dailyuw.com.