Among the stellar talent participating in Maxar’s largest-ever 2020 Summer Intern Program are three students who, in addition to academic credentials, have proudly served our country in the military.
The intern program is designed to give undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to apply their knowledge gained from college and get working experience. But veterans bring another level of real-world experience to their internships and a perspective that sets them apart from their peers.
“Some of our veteran interns have recently worked with Maxar products in their service roles, and they bring great perspective and feedback regarding how we can best serve defense and intelligence mission partners with commercial capabilities,” said Ken Joyce, Maxar’s Director of Product Marketing Management. “Our goal is that these internships are mutually beneficial. Each intern gains valuable experience working within our industry-leading teams, and we gain critical insights into the latest mission requirements.”
Meet the interns who have served
Amanda Pfabe is interning with Maxar’s SecureWatch Product Management team for the summer. After graduating from Harvard College with a BA in Economics, she commissioned as a U.S. Marine Corps officer. “My experience in the military exposed me to the ways emerging technologies can help with mission accomplishment, influencing my decision to seek a civilian career in a fast-paced, mission-oriented organization,” Amanda says. She was first introduced to Maxar’s support of U.S. national security missions while serving as an intelligence officer, deploying in support of counterterrorism operations to the Middle East and Africa. Amanda was initially drawn to Maxar for an internship because of our reputation for supporting the military's Earth Intelligence efforts. “When I learned more about the company's broader portfolio and history, I knew a summer internship at Maxar would be a great opportunity to leverage my previous work experience and put my new MBA skills to use,” she says. Amanda is currently pursuing her MBA at Columbia Business School and plans to work at the intersection of intelligence, technology and enterprise.
Jason Lapadula is an intern with the Maxar’s International Business Development team. He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and currently pursuing an MBA and MA in Global Affairs at Yale University. As a USMC infantry officer, Jason completed two deployments: one in Afghanistan and one to the Horn of Africa. “The military gave me a sense of purpose and a desire to serve society in a meaningful capacity that I have carried past my active duty career,” Jason says. His civilian career search similarly hinges on opportunities to do good for the world. He first learned of Maxar through the Marine Corps while conducting close air support and casualty evacuations. “I heard of Maxar again during my studies at Yale, when a professor mentioned that the Company’s technology, specifically QuickBird, was used during investigations of war crimes in South Sudan.” Both instances showed Jason that Maxar aligns closely with his personal values and goals to positively impact society. As part of the International Business Development team at Maxar, Jason is leading an African Union initiative and managing our dialogue with U.S. Embassies in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEAR).
Spencer Clark, also an intern with Maxar’s International Business Development team, is a U.S. Army Reservist and currently pursuing an MPA at University of Colorado. As a Civil Affairs Sergeant, Spencer has participated in numerous exercises and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief events in the Asia-Pacific region. As part of the International Business Development team at Maxar, Spencer is leading a large initiative in South America and managing our dialogue with U.S. Embassies in the Latin American region.
Maxar’s Veterans Program to be introduced in late July
Maxar is launching a Veterans Program later this month that will help military veterans build their career at Maxar. Through the program, Maxar will create opportunities to hire, develop and give back to veterans, who in turn can contribute to Maxar’s mission of harnessing our capabilities For A Better World.