Tell Your Story- Microsoft Student Associate

A company that revolutionised the way people perceive technology and changed the way work is done in day-to-day life. A company that gave people a vision of innovation, change and technology. A company pioneered by a man of vision, who brought Personal Computers to every home in India and the world.  It would definitely have been unimaginable without this technology giant, which is none other than Microsoft. 

I am Neha Srivastava, a student of PGDM IIM Indore and I am writing this blog to “Tell My Story” about Microsoft, its impact on my life and what I intend to do if I become a Microsoft Student Associate. I see this contest as a chance to mobilise a community for change, innovation and ideation. 

Impact of Microsoft on my life

Microsoft has made our work and thus our living much simpler and efficient. It is one such tech behemoth which has touched the lives of almost all the people in the world who have access to computers or who have read about it. A non-tech person would be as touched and impacted by Microsoft as a vigorous tech geek. It has made the most unimaginable things easy to implement. Imagine what the financial world would be if there would have been no spreadsheets to prepare financial forecasts, work out the numbers and analyse the results. And it is even more difficult to imagine the use of the vast world of web without Microsoft’s internet explorer.

Like many other millions and billions of people, I was impacted by Microsoft to a huge extent. It all started with my first exposure to paint in class 3^rd which was nothing short of an addiction to me. I was so fascinated by the wonderful features of Microsoft Paint that I urged my parents to buy a computer for me so that I could learn more on other applications. Once I got the computer, I started exploring applications like word, powerpoint and excel. Math was fun for me because I could use an excel file to check answers to multiple problems with the use of simple icons & tools. I could write poems, essays and articles on word and could edit them, change the font and even print it. Every morning my mother would use Microsoft’s Media player to play songs and every member of our family had a separate playlists which would be played on Sunday mornings. I slowly, started exploring other products and features from Microsoft. Now, on my best friend’s birthday, I was making movies on our friendship using the movie maker and did away with the paper cards. I dedicated a movie song to my mother on mother’s day and even today I can feel the ripple of joy in my mother’s heart after watching the movie.

Today Microsoft’s products and services are part & parcel of my life. Right from simple applications like power point to cloud based e-mail services in outlook, Microsoft touches every aspect of my daily routine. Using simple yet effective features like the Photo gallery I have the power to click, edit and share photos on-line any time. Using the Internet Explorer browser I can explore the entire world of web with a single click of mouse. It has enabled me to store large amount of data including movies, pcitures etc. at a single location on any device. I can use multiple apps on both my laptop and my phone to work out various things. Life has become so much simpler with Microsoft that today even a single day without it would hamper work across offices, colleges and work places. It is no doubt an important element of everyone’s life. 

My plan as a Microsoft Student Associate

Microsoft Student Associate is an opportunity to unite and coordinate the efforts of the most enthusiastic students in campus and around so as to create a culture of innovation, learning and team work. It is not just an opportunity to promote the latest Microsoft’s products and services so that more and more people benefit out of it, but also an opportunity to gather insights into Microsoft’s culture, work and activities around the world.

The first thing I plan to do is to create a Microsoft’s Enthusiasts group which will house all those people in campus who have not just learned but have loved Microsoft over the years. This group will share its insights into latest Microsoft’s services every month through a newsletter. It will also help students know about various activities that Microsoft Student community conducts all across the world. The platform will also be open to general public through social media where ideas to spread words on latest technology will be put up and shared.

Another thing I plan to do is to create Microsoft Engagement group. This group will mainly be responsible for generating brand engagement in the campus by conducting boot camps, events, activities, etc. This group will be mainly active in the campus and will help create the brand presence in the campus through quizzes, seminars, etc. Technical enthusiasts from the campus will be invited to deliver presentations on the most innovative uses of Microsoft’s products and services.

I also plan to work on social awareness generation through the use Microsoft applications like using movie maker to create videos on social issues and uploading the same on social websites, etc.. I plan to use the Microsoft brand name to inspire people to come together and stand for a cause.  It is no wonder that a brand name as strong Microsoft can help mobilise people. Another step in this regard would be to enable the use of Microsoft Virtual Academy for learning purposes like conducting smart classes.

As a Microsoft Student Associate I would act as a face of Microsoft in the campus and help in generating awareness about novel ideas, concepts, products, services, etc. of Microsoft in specific and technology in general, through the use of interactive means and involvement of the student community.

I hope to get this opportunity to make learning more loveable, enjoyable and exciting with Microsoft and the student community!