Rashida Hodge, CEO of Microsoft, says one does not need extraordinary wealth to become a philanthropist.
In 1998, Rashida Hodge came to Raleigh, North Carolina, daring to dream beyond the island of St. Thomas where she grew up. The path she took through North Carolina State University led her to Microsoft today.
But she did not forget her humble beginning in the Virgin Islands, an American territory. Now she has decided to connect her home to North Carolina through a $1 million grant from the Virgin Islands Community Foundation. This would send one or two students from the Virgin Islands to NC State each year with all costs paid – something Rashida could only have dreamed of when she was in high school. She had to collect scholarships to study at North Carolina State, but her endowment includes it all — full tuition and fees, housing and guidance for up to four years.“The scholarships changed the course of my life,” Hodge said. “I came to NC State because others invested in me, and I graduated debt-free because people I had never met believed in my future. Growing up, my parents taught me that if you believe in something, you have to be willing to make a sacrifice. This scholarship is my way of paying that gift forward and creating the same opportunity for the next generation of Virgin Islands students,” the Microsoft CEO said.
“I want one student to become two students, two students to become ten students, and ten students to become a tradition,” Hodge told The News & Observer. “I actually want this to be one of the most prestigious scholarships in NC State and open a bridge to the next generation of Virgin Islanders.”Hodge said one does not need extraordinary wealth to participate in philanthropy.The Microsoft technologist said that a dream is more valuable than money.
Children in the Virgin Islands shouldn’t feel like they can’t dream because they live on a 32-square-mile island. “The lesson is not that I’m special,” Hodge said. “The lesson is that the possibility is much closer than we think.”
The first beneficiary of the grant is…
Adina Smith of St. Croix has been selected as the first recipient of the Rashida A. Hodge. “I am extremely grateful for the Rashida Hodge Scholarship and mentorship opportunity,” Smith said.
“It gives me the opportunity to attend NC State and dedicate myself fully to my education without putting financial stress on my family. This opportunity motivates me to become a leader who not only succeeds, but also gives back and opens doors for others.”
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Who is Rashida Hodge?
Rashida Hodge is Corporate Vice President of Azure Data and AI Customer Success at Microsoft, where she works to accelerate data-driven transformation for customers. Prior to joining Microsoft, Rashida served as Global Vice President of IBM, and has more than 20 years of experience as an enterprise sales and service leader including leadership roles in hardware, software and services technologies.Rashida holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.Rashida is also a board member of Sonatype, A Vista Equity Portfolio Company, North Carolina State University Board of Visitors, Virgin Islands Community Foundation and Girls, Inc.
