Microsoft exec’s $1M donation connects North Carolina to Virgin Islands: ‘I could only dream of this in high school’
In 1998, Rashida Hodge came to Raleigh, North Carolina, with dreams of reaching 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 hasn’t forgotten her humble beginnings in the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands. Now, she’s decided to connect her home to North Carolina with a $1 million donation through the Virgin Islands Community Foundation. This would send one or two students each year from the Virgin Islands to NC State, all expenses paid—something Rashida could only dream of in high school. She had to scrape together a scholarship to study at North Carolina, but her gift includes everything — full tuition, fees, room and board and mentorship for up to four years.“The scholarship 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,” the Microsoft executive said. “Growing up, my parents told me that if you believe in something, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. This scholarship is my way of passing on that gift and creating the same opportunities for the next generation of Virgin Islands students.”“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 hope that this is one of the most prestigious scholarships in North Carolina and that it builds a bridge for the next generation of Virgin Islanders.”Hodge said it doesn’t take extraordinary wealth to get involved in philanthropy.The Microsoft technician said dreams are worth more than money. Children in the Virgin Islands should not feel like they can’t dream just because they live on a 32-square-mile island. “The lesson is not that I’m special,” Hodge said. “The lesson is that the possibilities are much closer than we think.”
The first recipient of this scholarship is…
Adaina Smith of St. Croix has been selected as the first recipient of the Rashida A. Hodge Scholarship. “I am extremely grateful for the Rashida Hodge Scholarship and mentoring opportunities,” Smith said. “It gave me the opportunity to attend NC State and devote myself to my education without putting financial stress on my family. This opportunity inspired me to grow as a leader who not only succeeds, but also gives back and opens doors for others.“
Who is Rashida Hodge?
Rashida Hodge is corporate vice president of Azure Data and AI Customer Success at Microsoft, where she is responsible for accelerating customers’ data-driven transformation. Prior to joining Microsoft, Rashida served as a global vice president at IBM and has more than 20 years of experience as a sales and services enterprise leader, covering leadership roles in hardware, software and services technology.Rashida earned 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 also serves on the boards of Sonatype, A Vista Equity Portfolio Company, North Carolina State University Board of Trustees, Virgin Islands Community Foundation and Girls, Inc.
