Aisha Ayoub is a program manager for Microsoft in Seattle. She spends her time working on the newest and yet-to-be released products that Microsoft Windows has to offer. No, she didn't work on Microsoft Vista.

''I really enjoy what I work on and I absolutely enjoy the people I work with,'' says Ayoub.

Aisha Ayoub

2002, Vocational/

Technical

Dr. Michael M. Krop

High School

Q: What do you remember about the night you won your Silver Knight award?

A: I totally didn't expect to win. . . . I remember thinking to myself, I don't even know why I'm going. There's no way I'm winning. I mean, there was one girl who helped to build a bridge in Africa. How could I compare to that? I just felt I'd like to see other winners and see how remarkable they are.

You know, they don't say your name straight out, but once they started talking I was like, wait a second, that's me! They put me on the big screen and I started breathing really, really hard. I was shaking so they had to give me water backstage before the interview.

Q: How do people react when you tell them you are a Silver Knight winner?

A: The reaction is usually ''Oh wow, we didn't know.'' Just a few days ago one of my friends at work said his goal in life was to be in Wikipedia. So he and my boss decided to look me up, and I was in Wikipedia because of my Silver Knight award!

Q: Tell us about your life now, what do you do?

A: I'm a program manager at Microsoft. I work on the new, unreleased version of Windows known as Windows 7. Prior, I worked for Boeing for over a year and hold an active security clearance. I worked on robots that were unmanned ground vehicles and air vehicles that are for the U.S. Army. I also worked in China for Microsoft, on gaming and mobile areas.

Q: Have you ever met Bill Gates?

A: I saw Bill Gates about a month ago while I was with a candidate here at Microsoft. I really have tremendous respect for the man.

Q: What advice do you have for students who want to be Silver Knights?

A: I did it because I wanted to make a difference. I did it because I saw something in the world that I wanted to change. The whole time I heard about Silver Knights, it never crossed my mind until the end of my junior year. I didn't do it to get a prize, I did it because I thought it was a need. Just make the most of everything. That's what gets me through things, because I'm able to see the positives in life.

I have a smile on my face almost always. You don't realize how your actions impact other people. There's a quote from Mother Teresa that really makes sense: "You've only truly lost someone if you forget everything they've taught you."