Rising White Plains High School senior Maximilian Mui has been busy promoting the benefits of renewable energy sources like the sun – which powers a high-tech bench he assembled and had installed in a prime spot outside the city’s Public Library.

Maximilian was recently joined by Mayor Tom Roach, state Sen. Shelley Mayer and Rep. George Latimer for the unveiling of the bench, which he helped secure with a $5,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The charging and connectivity bench, which is manufactured by SELS Solar, costs over $5,000 but Max – as he’s commonly known – used his negotiating skills to bring the price down to the amount in the grant, which he pursued independently.

“The bench is a renewable energy source. It’s also a public amenity, which is a bonus,” he said Thursday while sitting on his futuristic bench, which is covered with solar panels that convert sunlight to electricity using photovoltaic cells.

“People from all over White Plains can come and have a place to sit, a place to charge, free WiFi and Bluetooth,” Max said, adding that it is the only such bench in the city of some 60,000 residents.

For pedestrians who wish to do more than stop for a rest and figuratively recharge, the SB1020 stainless steel bench features USB charging ports, an inductive charging pad, WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth. The various options are displayed with blue logos on either side of the armrests.

“I want to try and make a change. If I can do this with $5,000, imagine what the city can do with a budget of $100,000,” Max said. “I want this to be a stepping stone for the city to implement more renewable energy sources. “This is a testament for what White Plains can do,”

Max said he was grateful for the city and thanked its leadership, the library and Public Works crews for their roles in bringing the project to fruition.

The student, who has attended the district’s schools since kindergarten, also praised WPHS and his teachers over the years.

“White Plains High School is a really good place and I love the learning atmosphere. The teachers really facilitate learning and make it more enjoyable,” said Max, whose brother, Josh, is entering the 10th grade.

He is already applying to colleges with the goal of entering the field of finance after first considering a career in computers.

“I used to gravitate toward computer science but with the job market right now it’s not that sustainable. So right now, finance is my go-to option,” Max said confidently.

Story from White Plains School District, https://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org/about/district-news/news-details/~board/hp-district-announcements/post/white-plains-high-school-senior-brings-renewable-energy-bench-to-the-city?