By Emily Fitzgerald, Content Development Management at Viasat
My career development with Viasat
When I started college at Purdue University as an English major, I felt like something was missing. I’ve always loved technology and software, so when you pair that together with a passion for storytelling, a future in video felt natural. I found a program at Purdue called Computer Graphics Technology where I was able to find a way to creatively express myself through technology.
During the Summer of 2015, I had the opportunity to continue that expression in a corporate setting. I joined Viasat as the Digital Media Intern and quickly became a jack of all trades with video, graphic design, and multimedia.
I would have never thought entering college as a freshman, that a tech company is where I would end up, but the people I worked with at Viasat were so supportive and encouraging that it made me want to come back. It felt great that a company wanted to invest in me and have me back as an early careers employee. That whole internship experience made me comfortable and confident which made starting a job after college so much easier.
At Viasat, you can take on many different roles but still feel like you are progressing in your career. Today, I work with the Global Fixed Broadband and Global Enterprise and Mobility Solutions business areas on video projects related to residential internet, aviation, alternative broadband systems, and more.
Returning the favor
I’ve come to realize that Viasat is so ingrained in all my experiences. When I first started in Denver after college, my manager at the time was involved with an organization called STEMblazers. They hosted an event for middle and high school girls at our office to learn about our technology, how it works, and how we serve our customers. I happened to be taking photos for Viasat at the event and was later put in touch with the founder. I’ve been volunteering with them ever since.
The organization is all about introducing girls to STEM careers and encouraging them to follow STEM paths if they’re interested. They have chapters all throughout Colorado and one day want to expand across the US. They host after-school programs and speaker events where professionals in STEM talk about their career journey. It’s all about showing them options they didn’t know existed and providing them with resources to pursue it.
Volunteering with STEMblazers has been a truly rewarding experience. On one end, I’m able to work on all types of multimedia for them and gain experience with different skills that I don’t use day to day. On the other end, it’s inspiring to be surrounded by women passionate about what they’re doing. We’re connecting with young women at such an opportunistic time of their life and seeing how STEMblazers has transformed their confidence and STEM education.
I’m able to be passionate about volunteering and giving back to my community because my company is passionate about it too. The fact that I got involved through Viasat just shows how because it was important to them, it became important to me. I’m even able to flex my schedule to volunteer for an event that may be an afternoon of my time and my managers have always been super encouraging about that.
Viasat’s Giving Program supports employees and the causes they care about. One of the focus areas for the company is STEAM education, which aligns closely with what I do through STEMblazers. Viasat believes students should have equitable access to science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) education that enables confidence, skills and knowledge to be prepared for careers of the future in a quickly evolving world.