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| Home >> Index Pages >> Informational Pages >> Discount Computer Systems >> News >> Collection of Essays from Scholarship 2006 >> |
Michael Schatte- By Michael Schatte My father and I were selected to be beta testers for Microsoft's new software, Small Business Accounting 2006. A beta tester uses the software from companies, such as Microsoft, on a regular bases before the software is released publicly. If the tester finds a flaw or bug in the program he or she reports it. My father and I we involved in the program for about 4 months, then the most miraculous things started to happen. We were being contacted almost everyday by the software designers from Microsoft. My father was using the accounting software in his small business to manage the finances. Then one day he received an email asking if we would like to be involved in a case study, to demonstrate to others interested in the software, how it can effectively manage the finances. A representative from Microsoft called my father and asked about how he uses the software. We were astounded with all of the attention we were getting. A few weeks later we were contacted by another representative and my father was informed that we will be involved in a video interview for the software. I was amazed and could not believe that a large corporation, such as Microsoft, would be involved with someone that lives in a town with a population of less than 700 people! After all of the excitement died down, nervousness started set in. A few months later, the day had finally come for the interview. The Microsoft representative, David, whom we had been in contact with, flew down from Seattle to conduct the interview. He was a somewhat heavy man with a great sense of humor. All my nervousness faded away when he and I began talking about life in Seattle and what the Microsoft campus is like. The interview begn in the morning and lasted through the afternoon. My mother and father were asked questions about how the accounting software lets them manage their business more efficiently. Since I setup the computer network, I was asked how I installed the software on the network. When the interview was finished, we invited David out to eat with us at a nice Mexican restaurant. He talked and laughed about his career at Microsoft. Towards the end of our meal, David asked us the question, "So what are you doing in September?" I immediately looked across the table to my father; we both knew what that meant. Microsoft invited us to the Small Business Accounting 2006 release party in Seattle, Washington! A few months later, we were flown to the Microsoft campus and were treated like guests of honor. We were introduced to the project managers and developers of Microsoft. At the release party my father was asked to go on stage with some other business owners that had used the software before. During the first of the event I looked down at the program and saw that Bill Gates was going to be speaking. A burst of excitement came over me! I couldn't believe that I was going to see the richest man in America. Afterwards, my mother, father and I enjoyed walking around the city and breathing in the cool mountain air. I had a fantastic time meeting new people and traveling to new places. This was a grand opportunity for me because it helped me realize that if you set your mind to something, great things can happen. References: | Scholarship 2006 Winners and Participants | Related Items: | Jason Kao | Ryan Dodge | Richard Evans | Alex Rosolowsky | Eryn Cangi | Andrew W. Leonard | Feleg Tsegaye | Maria Khan | Pierce Schiller | Hang Zhang | Manuel Sosa | Jay Xiao | Tomasz Zarebczan | Zaphod Beeblebrox | Brian Gruening | Ross Solomon | Kyle Romero | Eshcole Peets | Ruth Maynie | Michael Schatte | |
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