With the beginning of 2004/05 school year
I came to United States as an exchange student from Poland.

Since I remember, my interests were always toward technology and business.

One day Cathi came to my school to encourage us, young women, to take adwantage in technology education. I just loved that because she said everything I was looking for.

She helped me in getting a job shadow in Microsoft, after amazing trip to future office and house there. My job shadow was Pam Heath, who is responsible for future office in Microsoft. She showed me around her job, told me how her normal day looks like. Than we want for a meeting with ethnographic researcher at Microsoft. After that we literally run to brain storm in her staff metting. 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 imply their knowledge to make some ideas possible with new technologies. Later, she showed me how does the future house work, what makes it running, how they are making sure that during presentations eveything works. So she showed me future home from a back room and than we run thru it and 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, and second of all, that Pam had answer to all of my questions, those silly ones as also to those complicated ones. I am really thankful to IGNITE for bringing me this great opportunity. It was great, unforgetful time!

Martyna Owczarek