Microsoft Field Trip-Garfield High School

We had a fantastic day yesterday at Microsoft.
It was a wonderful group of young women who attended.
At least 6 of them from Ms. Martins computer science class at
Garfield have already applied for the Microsoft summer internship.
She is an inspirational Computer Science teacher who studied
Computer Science at the UW and chose to be in the classroom. Helene
is an everyday heroine, supporting her students passion for technology.
Ms. Helene Martin even participated in IGNITE when she was in
college talking to IGNITE girls when we visited on field trips.
Yesterday a lot of the girls attending were extremely passionate
about technology careers. This is how IGNITE works. In collaboration
with great teachers and programs the girls get a head start on
getting the passion flowing for technology.
Both of these schools have exceptional computer science teachers, Mr
Friedle from Cleveland and Ms Martin at Garfield. Our collaboration
helps these young women explore the technology in school and meeting
the fantastic women who support them in IGNITE.
Thank you to all the support staff who help our teachers with IGNITE.
Lois Brewer at Cleveland and Kalayaan Domingo, YMCA Community School
Site Director who attended the event yesterday.
Thank you all for making this happen.

First we went to the Home of the Future and the Envisioning Center.
Each tour is one hour and the girls get to pick one.
I want to thank the fantastic tour leaders who care so much about
the experience they give the young women attending.
Mr Jackie Giuliano, Home tour guide and Tiffany Dedeaux, Tour Leader
for the Envisioning Lab. You were both so dynamic and profound in
your leadership.
Seeing this technology for the first time is thrilling and memorable
and you both really make it meaningful for the girls. Its a treasure
that cannot be compared.
We then talked about their experience in the tours and the girls were
deeply and profoundly impacted by seeing what technology can do.

Then we have lunch with women who come and join us for a lunch panel
presentation and discussion.
I want to thank the wonderful and exceptional women who attended
yesterday's event.
They connected with the girls in sharing their story, and showing the
girls that they too once sat in their spot. And made that important
connection that they can accomplish anything they are persistent in
and work at. The girls asked great questions as well.

Thank you to Claire O'Donnell, Paralegal, who does so much for
IGNITE, she is there for us at every turn. I cannot explain how much
Claire does for me and for the girls. Leave it to say, she is really
there for IGNITE. She has helped me through some difficult times and
issues. We all owe her a sincere thanks and appreciation.

Thank you to Chanvatha Sea, Program Manager, an alumni of IGNITE,
graduated Ingraham HS and now works at Microsoft. It was just a few
short years ago that she was on this field trip. That has such a
profound impact on the girls. Its like seeing themselves up on that
panel! Thank you Chanvatha for caring about the girls.

Thank you to Betsy Norton-MIddaugh, Sr. Program Manager,who has been
to every single lunch event in ten years,. except maybe one. Talk
about commitment. Thank you Betsy for your caring and dedication.

Thank you to Sonya Johnston, Senior Attorney. It was Sonya's first
event and she enjoyed it so very much. That is always the reaction,
once you meet the girls and have that discussion with them, it gets
you hooked. Because we all realize that if we had only had that when
we were that age.
Sonya was such a passionate speaker and we all hung on her every
word. Her story was compelling.
Thank you Sonya for joining IGNITE!!

Thank you to Jessica Cui, Business Manager, a new member in IGNITE.
Jessica was also so excited to be there and be involved.
She wants to be involved in helping IGNITE in many ways, so I am sure
Jessica will be around for a long time. Jessica's story was also
compelling and inspirational.
Thank you Jessica for joining IGNITE.

You are all wonderful women who were there to change the world for 40
girls yesterday. The kind of interaction that we have at these events
is special. Life changing.
To get to hear women's stories when you are 14-18 years old and
wondering how you will fit into the world, is life changing. That is
what IGNITE is all about.
Thank you all for making this happen.