Computer science major Daniel Barton ’14 went straight from Commencement to a job with Garmin as a Software Engineer. As part of the company’s Hardware Integration Team in Olathe, Kansas, Barton will be spending most of his time working on building Garmin’s navigation software into cars.
Barton spent the summer of 2013 interning on the same project for Garmin and is thrilled to be back at work with the company. “I’m most excited about working on products that people use every day,” he says. “This job gives me the opportunity to improve people’s lives.”
Olathe, which is near Kansas City, is a long way from both Haverford and from Barton’s family home in Loves Park, Illinois. But Barton says he’s been adjusting well to life in Kansas and full-time Garmin work. “Everyone in the company is on a first name basis,” he says. “The company atmosphere is very respectful and open, and they treat their employees very well.”
Though Barton has no plans to leave Garmin any time soon, his ultimate career goal is to work on video game development, or to own his own video game studio. “I enjoy making things, and software allows you to create entire worlds out of nothing,” says Barton. “Video games are one way in which those worlds can come to life.”
—Kelsey Ryan ’14