Exchange Student from Poland Loves IGNITE!

Microsoft/IGNITE a Big Success

by Martyna Owczarek In the beginning of the 2004/05 school year, I came to United States as an exchange student from Poland. Since I can remember, my interests were always toward technology and business. One day Cathi came to my school to encourage us, young women, to take advantage in technology education. I just loved that because she said everything I was looking for. She helped me to get a Job Shadow in Microsoft, after an amazing trip to the future office and house there. My Job Shadow was Pam Heath, who is responsible for the future office at Microsoft. She showed me around her job, told me what her normal day looks like. Then we want for a meeting with an ethnographic researcher at Microsoft. After that we literally ran to a brain storming staff meeting. They were brainstorming about ways to improve their jobs and increase productivity. There were also people responsible for innovations taking notes at this meeting to try to imploy their knowledge to make some ideas possible with new technologies. Later, she showed me how the future house works, what makes it run, how they are making sure that during presentations everything works. So she showed me the future home from a back room and then the nice day was over. What I loved the most about this Job Shadow was that, first of all, I was treated as an adult and someone who also might have good ideas at both meetings. Second of all, Pam had answered all of my questions, those silly ones and also those complicated ones. I am really thankful to IGNITE for bringing me this great opportunity. It was a great, unforgettable time! Martyna Owczarek