Microsoft College Hire to Platinum Club

I am deeply honored to be a recipient of Microsoft's most prestigious award, The Platinum Club Award. The Microsoft Circle of Excellence - Platinum Club Award winners are influential leaders who have surpassed expectations by going above and beyond. Platinum Club is Microsoft’s premier award program recognizing individuals who consistently perform at the highest level and directly contribute to the company’s success. This club represents Microsoft's ongoing commitment to recognizing its finest contributors and reflects the value Microsoft places on peak performers. I started Microsoft 3.5 years ago as a MACH (Microsoft for College Hire) now known as the Aspire program. This 26-year old, young black woman is now a Platinum Club winner. Read that again! The late nights, tears, sweat, pain, doubts, hard work, over-looks, sacrifices, networking, ups and downs, and the list goes on leading up to this major career milestone has all been worth it. This is a major career milestone. Wow... is this really happening?

In this journey called life, I have always been open for limitless opportunities, I didn't quite know where I would land but I knew I would work day in and day out for success in my career. I have always been a private person, however, there are so many young girls and young women out there who need to hear my story so they can understand the importance of believing in yourself when it feels like society has written you off.

In my junior year of high school when I was still deciding what I wanted my major to be in college, midway through that year, my grandfather started to have heart problems and needed a pacemaker. My family and I didn't truly know what that meant, we were just trusting doctors at the time. That was the first time I saw a close family member in the hospital for days. I remember pacing back and forth on the hospital floor with my mind racing. I didn't want to just trust doctors. I wanted to know for my self what was going on with my grandfather. So many questions were going through my head, a few were:

Was this just a way to keep him alive for only a few months?

How was a medical device going inside my grandfather's heart going to help him stay alive and thrive?

What happens if the device malfunctions in his body?

I didn't know if my grandfather was dying or if a medical device was going to save my grandfather's life so I dived into the research of medical devices and pacemakers. Upon my research, the creators of these medical devices are scientists, doctors engineers intrigued my interest. I am too squeamish to be a doctor, I didn't think I was smart enough to be a scientist but engineering intrigued me, it was a far fetched goal that I was going to set out and achieve. I wasn't such a fan of biology so instead of pursuing Biomedical Engineering I chose Electrical Engineering.

Now to my unconventional story, I went to Virginia State University (VSU) for Engineering, where I was Vice President of the Freshmen class while maintaining a 3.8 G.P.A. Shoutout to VSU, which is an HBCU which is a historically black college and university by the way. I was having the time of my life! When the second semester rolled around, I found out I was pregnant... 18 & pregnant, my freshman year of college. Yes, it felt like my life was over. I got through the rest of the school year understanding that a turning point was ahead. I had serious choices to make for myself and another life who would depend on and be directly influenced by my decisions. I knew I had to make decisions that would give us the best chance at a great, stable, and healthy life. I was the 'good, determined, deemed to be successful' girl growing up, it was hard for my friends and family to believe that the news was true... I maintained continuous enrollment as I've heard too many stories of young girls who take 'a semester off' but never go back, I was determined not to be a statistic. I remember less than 2 weeks after I gave birth to my little amazing human, Giovanni, I had a mid-term test I had to take. I was back at it like I never missed a beat because I knew my future counted on it.

I was determined to stay in school no matter what, through

• 4 colleges/universities over 5.5 years
• 5 internships, co-ops, research experiences
• being the project lead of my senior design project Funded by NASA via NC Space Grant
• motherhood
• public housing
• navigating how to be a single mom
• surviving a car accident where I was spinning in oncoming traffic

In December 2016, I walked across the stage and earned my Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I was excited my grandfather who was in the audience cheering me on could make it to see me complete the mission he unknowingly inspired. I was so happy to have secured my full-time position at Microsoft, 6 months before graduation. On moving day to start my new chapter post-college, my grandfather passed away from Pancreatic cancer, he beat prostate cancer a few years back but this second wave of cancer came out of nowhere. He went downhill fast because he didn't know he had pancreatic cancer, we suspect at my graduation just over 30 days prior he was suffering but was determined to make his granddaughters graduation. This was a turning point in my life, it was the end and beginning all at the same time, as you probably can imagine, this was a lot to take in.

My grandfather who helped raise me during my childhood in New York City (Harlem), NY, who believed in me when it felt like no one else did, who was always so positive no matter what transitioned the same day I moved to Dallas, TX to start my career at Microsoft. I moved across the country from Charlotte, NC to Dallas, TX to start my full-time career I worked extremely hard for. Two extremes of life were happening at the same time, it was bittersweet, to say the least. I didn't have family in Dallas, TX, and at this time I had a 4-year-old son whom I had to also make sure would thrive in this new journey we were both going to embark upon. Some would think it's crazy to move 14+ hours from your mom and sister, 23+ hours away from the rest of your family, without having an immediate support system. If believing in my dreams, breaking barriers, showing my son that anything is possible, makes the choice crazy, well I'm 'first inline'.

If you know the risk is worth taking, take it and don't hold back!

I started Microsoft Corporation as a Support Engineer for Office Client SharePoint Integration (OCSI) in February 2017. I used my problem-solving expertise to solve software issues for some of Microsoft's largest customers. Shortly after joining Microsoft, I joined our employee resource group, Blacks at Microsoft (BAM), where I became Professional Development Chair for BAM Texas. During my term I served for two consecutive fiscal years on the executive board, there were countless initiatives and events the Professional Development committee brought to the Las Colinas community, inclusive of but not limited to Leadership Panels, Networking Events, Dale Carnegie courses, Soft skill mixers, Professional Development workshops. The work I did in BAM fueled my daily work, it was refreshing to come to one of the top software companies in the world and have a close-knit group of people who look like me to learn from, share knowledge, and quite frankly a place I can just 'let my hair down'.

Being around individuals who look like me is important to me because I know what it is to not feel included, to feel like an outsider around people who don't know you but you're the 'only' in the room. BAM gave me an outlet where I could be myself. It fueled my soul to be around people who had similar walks of life, which is why I am beyond committed to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work that must be done.

I joined the Unified Support Pilot, where I and 79 engineers were able to reset the tone for how customers would experience Microsoft's Premier Support for decades to come. The problem-solving mindset I gained through the rigorous journey of Engineering school will always stick with me and was exemplified in the pilot to set the bar of what engineers can accomplish when working together and channeling innovation. Breaking barriers and constantly showing up as my best self was important to me then and is important to me now, it will always be at the forefront of my being.

Now the rest of the short story is my favorite part of my career thus far! I knew I wanted to do more with my skills and talents within the company. I started to branch out and network more to find my next role. I wanted a role that would match my personality, have a compelling culture within the team, and roles and responsibilities I would look forward to. I promised myself I would not step into a team or organization that did not value culture and how important it is for everyone on that team who steps into the office, joins a Microsoft Teams call, to feel comfortable and included as a valuable member of the team, that was a 'non-negotiable'. Most of us spend more time at work than we do with our loved ones, it's important to be thoughtful in the type of environment you want to be in. It's important for your growth, peace, and mental health. I shadowed individuals to understand what they did in their roles. I asked questions about their role, team, and intricacies in between.

My tenacious approach helped me create a positive reputation within my organization with leaders and individual contributors. The Commercial Executive (CE) community intrigued me and 'man oh man', I made the right decision. I was intrigued by the org and the unordinary 'next' career move as I stepped over from support engineering to compliance and deal-making. Leadership took a chance on me as I was the first individual to come into the Small Medium and Corporate (SMC) Commercial Executive org as an internal hire without licensing background. It became my duty to not disappoint and to set a bar that wasn't yet created to ensure those who come after me would have the same opportunity that I did. I knew that the work that I contributed to would help give opportunities to others, who on paper 'weren't qualified for the position'. I worked tirelessly to ramp up on Microsoft licensing and to understand how we can strategically support our customers. I got just what I wanted without having a label on the role I was going for.

I chose the Commercial Executive Partner (CEP) role within the CE community because it was a newer role within the Commercial Executive organization where there are only 3 of us in US SMC Commercial and 11 globally. I knew I would have the opportunity to apply a 'building the plane while flying it' mentality. I have the unique honor and challenge of working with every territory across the nation in the SMC segment. I am exercising a muscle I didn't know I had, as CEP's we are responsible for the Partner Commercial Executive (PCE) program for our respective partners. The PCE Program was built to enable the volume licensing business through the Partner Commercial Executive (P-CE) role, to integrate with Microsoft licensing sales teams to drive greater realization of value for our mutual customers. There are currently 45 individuals within the licensing partner ecosystem at 4 different licensing partners that I am aligned to. At a high level, I help orchestrate proper deal-making, Microsoft licensing readiness, and increase cloud adoption. As a Commercial Executive (CE) I wear two hats, I am a Commercial Executive first who's role is to be a trusted advisor who leads the design and execution of the customer's commercial strategy and negotiation, selling the right solution at the right time and ensuring every deal is compliant and profitable for Microsoft and I manage the PCE Program for my respective partners.

We have great leadership in SMC Digital Sales! As an individual contributor in SMC Digital Sales, I feel empowered to dive in with an inquisitive mindset, evangelize the importance of a positive culture, and practice deal-making to the best of my ability. Since joining SMC Digital Sales about a year and a half ago, I definitely didn't imagine being here writing this article today. Leadership is so invested in the culture, well-being, and success of individuals in this organization, it's unbelievable at times and feels like a dream. The passion I have for people to feel like equal, to feel like they belong, to feel like they are a valuable member of the team is enormous and I get to cultivate my passion in the workplace. I get to collaborate with others and influence this organization on what Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion looks like and the importance of ensuring culture is at the forefront just as the business is. Man oh man is that an amazing feeling.

I am a product of 'If you put your mind to it and you are willing to work hard for it', it can happen. Not only can it happen, but you can excel beyond expectations. The tenacity and grit I have for my career and success in life is indescribable. It is important that the values and morals I instill in my son and encourage him to do, he has an example of in me. I have a responsibility as a young black woman to continue to pave the way for young black girls just as countless women have paved the way for me. I am the definition of someone having a vision that no one else can see, moving towards the vision regardless of how many obstacles, roadblocks, doors closed, all while believing it will all work out and be worth it.

Representation matters, it is important for other black girls growing up deciding what they want to be, that engineering is possible, being a leader is possible, having a crazy vision and chasing after it is possible, being a recipient of Microsoft's Premier Award program, Platinum Club is possible.

If I would have listened to people who told me or implied that "I couldn't do it".

If I would have stayed in the box society and people create for people in my situation.

If I would have listened to people who limit opportunities for themselves so they project that energy on others.

If I would have listened to people who did not see my potential.

If I would have stopped the first time the door was shut.

If I would have worried about things I cannot control.

If I would have been afraid to make mistakes.

If I would have compared myself to others.

If I would have feared the future.

If I would have given up.

I Wouldn't be here today!!!

P.S. This isn't even 75% of my story, but I felt compelled to get at least a portion out to help others who may be scared to take a leap, to follow their dreams, and to dare to raise the bar. This recognition is monumental and transformational for me especially given my circumstances. I think it's safe to say, 'I made lemonade out of lemons', this is only the beginning.