Viasat interns learn and grow at annual Intern Bootcamp event

Viasat’s global summer intern cohort, comprised of over 120 interns, recently took part in Intern Bootcamp — a three-day event designed to focus on the four intern program pillars: career development, culture and inclusion, connection, and innovation and impact. Programming included interactive sessions on Viasat business, how our satellites and systems work, career development, executive perspectives, and more.

 

The event was an overwhelming success as the entire cohort across four countries, 11 cities, and six time zones gathered both in-person and remotely to learn from 10 speakers over three days.  

 

Intern Bootcamp opened on Monday, June 30, with an executive welcome and engineering overview from Engineering Strategic Operations Lead Kristin Walsh, followed by a Viasat Government business and strategy overview by President of Viasat Government Craig Miller. Their presentations covered the basics of how Viasat operates while going over how to develop good business strategies and what that means in the technology industry. 

 

“A highlight for me was Craig Miller’s session,” Viasat Brazil Business Data Analytics Intern Pedro Godoy said. “I really enjoyed his presentation style and found it very engaging.”   

 

The second day of Bootcamp brought presentations related to soft skills in the workplace, with Talent Development Specialist Katie Smith-Bachelor providing an insightful overview on the importance of being your authentic self at work.  In her presentation, Katie taught interns that strong self-awareness, self-esteem and self-aspiration can help you build a foundation for developing self-confidence and authenticity, which will allow you to be a more effective team player, leader and person. 

 

Interns were also treated to a new element for 2025: a deep dive into the cohort’s Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI), a personality assessment tool, led by Early Careers Recruiter Emily Allen and PB&C Intern Kathryn Wen.  

 

 Emily and Kathryn shared interesting statistics relating to the group’s MBTI types. For example, the most common type among 2025 interns was INTJ, which means someone embodies the traits of being introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging. Often called the “architect” or “mastermind,” INTJs are known for their strategic thinking, analytical abilities and independent nature.  

 

“We believe that it is so important to bring your authentic self to work as much as possible,” Emily said on the importance of interns getting to know their MBTI. “Tools such as MBTI are a great way to help us understand our work and communication styles as well as the styles of those on our teams to create a positive and efficient work environment. We also make sure to communicate that these tools are not meant to put you in a box, but rather to help you build on things that resonate with you from the results.”  

 

To wrap up an exciting week, the interns ended with an overview of three different pieces of Viasat technology. The day started off with Integration and Test Lead – VS-3 Satellites Alex Duran speaking about the satellite lifecycle, before an introduction to Moonlight technology by Senior Systems Engineer, Advanced Concepts & Technologies Marton Kiss-Toth, followed by a session about the Viasat Amara and Aera by VP of Marketing, Viasat Commercial Services Michelle Munoz-Talcott.   

 

“I enjoyed learning more about different projects Viasat is currently working on,” Program Management Intern Christine Quitalig, who is working at Viasat’s Duluth, Georgia, office, said. “I don’t necessarily see all of these at the location I’m at and with the teams and projects I am working with, so it was very insightful to get a broader idea of everything that Viasat accomplishes.” 

Intern Bootcamp hasn’t always been the global event that it was this year. It was inspired by Engineering Bootcamp, which began in 2020 as a way for Viasat’s engineers to grow in their professional development and technical skills. In 2023, the Early Careers team adapted this event to become the Intern Engineering Bootcamp in the U.S. to upskill interns and teach them more about how Viasat’s engineering groups work. 

 

Intern Engineering Bootcamp was a huge hit, so the team continued to improve and evolve the event, rebranding it to “Intern Bootcamp” in 2024. This iteration of the event had less of an engineering and technical focus as it was intended to give interns a deep dive into all things Viasat, from company culture to business strategy.  

 

In 2025, the event evolved again into a global Intern Bootcamp, where for the first time, interns and speakers from four different countries attended all sessions together live on Zoom. 

 

Among first-time Intern Bootcamp attendees was Pedro Godoy, who believes that the Bootcamp helped him understand where other interns are from and how the company operates globally.  

 

“The Bootcamp made me feel more connected – not just to the interns in the U.S., but to everyone involved in the program,” he said. “It was a really great experience. I had the chance to get a broader view of the company and felt that the Bootcamp was very focused on us as interns. It helped clear up some questions I had and introduced me to new topics I wasn’t aware of. It’s definitely something that will support me throughout my time at Viasat.” 

Pedro’s experience at Intern Bootcamp is exactly what the Early Careers team is trying to achieve from the week of sessions, with Christine echoing his words. 

 

“Bootcamp helped me understand how different pieces come together to make up Viasat,” she said. “Each speaker brought something totally different to the table, and it gave me a much broader perspective of the company overall and made me feel more connected to the bigger picture beyond my immediate team. I really enjoyed getting to hear from the speakers and other interns from different locations around the world.”  

 

The event is an exciting professional opportunity for all involved -- interns and full-time Viasat employees alike.  

 

“Every single speaker we asked to be part of bootcamp said an enthusiastic yes, and these are leaders from various parts of the business,” said Early Careers Talent Acquisition Manager Ali Meersman. “The support of Early Career talent from Viasat leaders is strong, all the way up to the executive level. Interns seem to feel more comfortable at Viasat after the bootcamp, and they undoubtedly have made connections with each other and Viasat professionals.”