Esports.gg spoke with Christie Garton about the Riot Games Esports Broadcasting Cadetship and what students can expect from it.
The 1,000 Dreams Fund has selected two students for its 2026 Riot Games Esports Broadcasting Cadetship. This three-month, paid program provides hands-on experience at the Riot Games Remote Broadcast Center in Seattle, Washington. Esports.gg sat down with Christie Garton, the founder and CEO of 1,000 Dreams Fund for an interview about esports pathways and the real impact of this cadetship program.
How 1,000 Dreams Fund and Riot Games champion esports and gaming
In an exclusive interview with esports.gg, Garton shared that among Gen Z, demand is growing for hands-on and skills-driven roles. Therefore, programs like the Riot Games Esports Broadcasting Cadetship provide students with real-world experience to meet this need.
"And it gives the students and the early career participants a chance to get acclimated to the working world, the culture, meeting those people that will ultimately, potentially become their colleagues," Garton added. "So that's why we feel a program like the cadetship is so important for the state of things as they are today."
The 1,000 Dreams Fund and Riot Games cadetship program launched back in 2023 while the 1,000 Dreams Fund itself began in 2016. With 10 years under its belt, the non-profit organization has reached significant milestones. According to Garton, the fund still supports all career paths, but its focus on esports and gaming really took shape in 2018. She said that the organization helped creators build careers and partnered with Twitch to give early-stage women esports content creators access to funding and tools. She then recalled the first year of the cadetship program.
"The most exciting part about it is -- just talking with the first year's cadets, both of them are big fans, and it wasn't a requirement, but big fans of a couple of the Riot Games titles," Garton said, naming VALORANT in particular. "And to have the chance to work the actual global tournament related to those titles -- it was like a dream come true. Both of those cadets were hired full-time, and they are now full-time employees with Riot Games. That is not the offer, but that is the potential. Ultimately, I know our partner's super invested in really creating opportunities for people to level up and be a part of this industry that they're so passionate about wherever they end up."
What to expect from the Riot Games Esports Broadcasting Cadetship
In terms of what each student's day-to-day experience looks like, the program lets them work directly alongside full-time staff and complete real tasks as part of the Riot Games team. They learn industry skills in the live work environment rather than through observation. According to Garton, the cadetship functions like an apprenticeship and builds experience through daily responsibility. This structure prepares students for long-term careers.
The program also helps students develop soft skills that are difficult to teach in a classroom. These include punctuality, communication, teamwork, and leadership.
The cadetship and all of its teachings go beyond esports as well. "What is so interesting is that this program wasn't structured just for esports degrees," Garton explained. "Which is kind of a new thing, but people are pursuing them, and that's fantastic. If you're interested in being in the industry, absolutely. But it wasn't structured only for those students. It is intended to be an accessible program if you have an aptitude and a passion and demonstrated ability to be successful in such an environment."
She continued, "That is what really makes this program, in my opinion, super exciting. It's that you don't have to come to it with the exact credentials that says, 'I'm in esports, I'm a gaming expert.' You're really being invited to learn that in the environment and alongside their team. To me, it really does feel like an apprenticeship, and if you go to [other] areas in the world, Europe in particular, they have very advanced, apprenticeship-type programs that are really about learning skills on the job."
Garton then added that the United States can benefit from investing in these opportunities. It would require more dedication and the will to invest in the future workforce.
As for parting words, Garton told esports.gg that the Riot Games Esports Broadcasting Cadetship can help students get a foot in the door in a competitive job market. She also noted the importance of confidence and persistence even when facing self-doubt or rejection.
"Have that confidence to put yourself out there and really, really pursue what you want. I think that's what I've seen with so many of the students we've served through this organization over the years. The ones who are successful are the ones who keep pushing forward even in face of a lack of confidence or even a 'no.' That that doesn't mean that that next opportunity won't be a 'yes.'"
That's all for now. Students interested in the cadetship can apply through its dedicated page.
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