Praveen Vajpeyi
Vice President of Product Design
Penn Foster
San Diego, CA USA
“Just keep playing. As long as you’re engaging in play—and learning happens through that—it’s a win-win situation.”
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By Roadtrip NationPraveen Vajpeyi
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I grew up in Calcutta, India.
As a teenager, I started apprenticing with my father at his printing press—the firsthand work experience helped me learn a lot.
I earned a Bachelor of Commerce from St. Xavier’s College in Calcutta, India.
After gaining experience designing for my father’s printing press, I broadened my horizons and started my own design studio, where I designed everything from documentary films to corporate identities.
I partnered with a friend and created the largest informational website in Calcutta at that time—it was a lot of fun, but I eventually started feeling like I needed something more.
I decided to go back to school for a master’s degree in design and technology from The New School's Parsons School of Design in New York—up until this point, I had been a self-taught designer.
It eventually became clear to me that I wanted to focus on designing products and services within the world of education in order to create a multigenerational impact.
I've since held design positions for education companies like McGraw Hill Education and College Board, which all led me to my current position as vice president of product design for Penn Foster.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Commerce
St. Xavier's College
Commerce
St. Xavier's College
Graduate
Design & Technology
The New School's Parsons School of Design
Design & Technology
The New School's Parsons School of Design
Career
Vice President of Product Design
I design products and services within the world of education.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Design
Education
Building Things
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Take advantage of all of opportunities to learn and gain skills in high school. Do as much as you can while in high school to really hone in on your skills and interests. Take all of the relevant classes that you can. When it's time to start looking at colleges, take the time to research which ones match best with your goals. Throughout all of this, just keep playing. As long as you're playing, enjoying what you're doing, and learning from that, you're on the right path.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
Commerce
Commerce
Graduate
Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
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