Hi All

We had such a fantastic day at Microsoft. It just gets better and better!!!!!!!!! I want to thank our tour leader Raelene Sanders who set up a great tour at MSNBC.com. The girls really enjoyed seeing the studios and all the technology that goes with it. They learned a lot about the real world of technology and seeing it at Microsoft is such a great thrill for all the them. I want to thank Robert Willis, the Lead Program Manager at MSNBC, who told us all about how it works and made us all feel so welcome. Then Raelene spent time with the girls showing them all around the building and discussing all the kinds of careers people can have who work at that location. Everyone had such a great time!

We had such an outstanding turnout of women to the lunch discussion at Microsoft. WE had 15 women come to meet the girls and talk with them, and inspire them! Microsoft women come from all over the company to meet the girls. The women tell their stories to the girls, how they got to the job they do, some obstacles they faced, what advice they want to give. All of the women did such an amazing job connecting with the girls. It is so obvious how much everyone cares that the young women get this information and get the idea that they can not only work at Microsoft, they can do anything they decide they can do! It is so inspiring to be a part of this experience. Thank you all for caring the way you do. You make a difference in each of these girls lives. Thank you to Sue Kurian, Senior Program Manager, Katy Jo Meyer, Profession Capability and Development Consultant, Joanne Brandsma, Program Manager, Marta Smith, Lead Software Design Engineer in Test, Marla Mingee-Earle, Engineer, Jennifer Harden, Operations Program Manager, Juzen Ruelos, Senior Program Manager, Leona Lccke, Senior Financial Analyst, Michee Holland, Program Manager, Sharon Carroll, Software Test Engineer, Susan McEver, Program Manager, Monica Poinescu, Senior Design Engineer Test, and thank you to Betsy Norton- Middaugh, who arrived when there were so many women to speak and no room for Betsy! Betsy has never missed an event, thank you Betsy for not missing this one! And thank you to Manh Duong, IGNITE graduate, who now is an IGNITE volunteer and works at IP Financial. Manh spent the whole day with us, as an ignite graduate to inspire the girls to participate in ignite and see where it leads them. Thank you Manh for being such an important contributor, our graduates that come back to volunteer is a dream come true!

I want to thank all the teachers who organized their students to come to this trip. Thank you to Barbara Quintana, Career Center Rainier Beach, Peggy Gallup, Career Center John Marshall, Chris Syrjala, Career Center Summit HS and Cathy Hagood, Career Center Hale H.S As you all can see the Career Center Specialists really work so hard to partner with IGNITE! Thank you all!!

Thank you to the Seattle Times for covering the event and wanting to tell the community about the IGNITE story.

Now to the heart of what we do, the girls survey forms. What did the girls think:

• I liked that all the women had great answers to the questions we asked. I enjoyed learning more about technology and finding out that I could make a difference in the world.
• Some of the women had to go through hard times with high school. Everything wasn't just given to them, They worked hard to get where they are now. Well, I gained a lot from this event. It was a great experience.
• I liked what the women told us. I am really proud to learn something about Microsoft. I know more students want to do this too. How can you take more?
• The best thing that I liked was to hear all the women speaking of how fun working for Microsoft was. I would love to work for Microsoft someday. I learned that Microsoft has many opportunities waiting for you and I look forward to that. Everything was wonderful, it was great.
• The women all spoke well, and anything seems possible through Microsoft. They are very informative women.
• I learned that Human Resources has branches within itself and that you don't necessarily have to have a technical degree to be working here, very encouraging. Just keep encouraging more girls to work within the field, you are all doing a great job.
• I liked how the women told their stories and they were all so different. I liked being able to ask the women questions, I learned a lot from them and they were very inspiring. There are such a variety of job available at Microsoft.
• Well, I liked the fact that I actually learned a few things and if I was to want to get a technical degree, Microsoft is where I would want to work.
• You don't have to be a computer geek to have this type of career.
• I enjoyed the speech from Michee Holland and afterwards I asked her to be my mentor and she agreed. I also liked all the different points of view from the women and the exposure to all the different types of jobs at Microsoft. The most important thing I learned about was how you don't have to be perfect and a genius to work at Microsoft.
• I like how Jennifer has gone to Marshall and has given me a different vision on how people tell me that I can't be nothing and now I know to never take no for an answer. I can go home and change the way I think of things and my attitude.
• I really loved listening to al the women and hearing about the HUGE variety of experiences and jobs at Microsoft. Before this I thought all people at Microsoft did was sit in front of a computer, but this actually looks like fun! I was amazed that women had changed the x-box controllers and that women are making an impact!!
• The best part of the day was viewing the servers and listening about the technology at the MSNBC The event was exciting.
• I liked listening to all of these stories and being empowered to look forward in my life. I look forward to work at this kind of company and not only that but to work in America. The idea that persistence matched with self-awareness and change is the most valuable force a prospective employee can have.
• The best thing I feel that went on today in this event was the ladies talking to us. WE talked about the ups and downs of the industry.
• I liked everything. I learned that I can make my own choices and do something that I want.
• I really liked talking to the women who work at Microsoft. I felt encouraged about the future of all us girls. It was great.
• I learned how the women succeeded in school and whatever their grades were they still succeeded. The best part was learning who the women are, where they came from and how they got to success. more time.
• I liked everything :) I liked hearing about females making it big at Microsoft.
• I liked hearing all the different stories and listening to the women talk.
• Listening to the women talk and learn what they do. There are many different types of jobs and if you are learning new things and make mistakes as long as you learn from them its okay.
• I liked hearing all the women's stories about how their career started.

Thank you all for making this day possible.
Cathi