My First Two Weeks in Washington
A Reflection from My Internship at Microsoft
On the last weekend of May, I packed my life into three bags and left for Washington State.
I was dropped off at the airport by KB, one of my Ghanaian engineering students from the Michigan State University College of Engineering.
Heโs currently staying with me in Michigan as he goes through recruiting. As we said our goodbyes, I realized this was more than just a temporary move. It was a full pivot into a new chapter. A new city. A new rhythm. A new season of my life.
I landed at SeaTac around 8 p.m.
It was already dark, and I remember checking Uber prices on my way out of the airport. The ride from SeaTac to Redmond was seventy dollars. Immediately, my brain jolted into awarenessโI was no longer in the Midwest. I was in a cosmopolitan city. The air felt different. The pace was sharper.
And for the first time in a long while, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.
Living at Archer
I had opted for corporate housing through Microsoft, mostly because I didnโt want the stress of finding an apartment on short notice. I had been told Iโd be placed at Archer Hotel Redmond, and while I initially hoped for a room with a kitchenette, I wasnโt sure if that would be possible.
So imagine my surprise when I arrived and was placed in a Studio King, complete with a full kitchenette, a velvet couch, and the softest, most intentional design.
I didnโt just feel lucky. I felt cared for.
Iโve stayed in dozens of hotels over the yearsโfrom my days as a travel blogger to conference trips and speaking engagements. Archer is different. Itโs warm, beautiful, grounded. Every corner is designed to help you settle in. And I did. I spent the weekend decompressing, setting up my space, and mentally preparing for Day 1 at Microsoft.
Onboarding at Microsoft
The next day, we headed to the office to get our devices and meet our teams. I was curious to know what laptop weโd be issued, and I was thrilled when I received a brand new Microsoft Surface. I havenโt used a Windows device in yearsโI had been working on a Lenovo ThinkPad during my time at the UNโbut I was really excited to explore the Surface ecosystem.
I met my manager, Annette Porter, in person for the first time. She has been incredibly supportive from day one. She even sent out a warm welcome email that made me feel seen and affirmed. The first week was full of trainings, onboarding sessions, and meeting fellow interns.
But it didnโt take long to get into real work.
My Project: DAP and the Future of Gaming (This is an Xbox)
In November 2024, Xbox launched a global campaign titled This is an Xbox. It was direct. The visuals pointed to devices: a phone, a tablet, a laptop; and simply said it. This is an Xbox.
Xbox is no longer (just) a box. It is a platform. A streaming service. A digital ecosystem. If it has a screen and an internet connection, it can be an Xbox. That shift in narrative expanded the brandโs meaning. It also landed somewhere deeply personal for me.
On paper, this internship might look like gaming. Iโm at Xbox. Iโm surrounded by game devs and product people. But what Iโm doing is business strategy.
Iโm working within the Developer Accelerator Program (DAP) under ID@Xbox, helping the team analyze and interpret years of data on sales.
Itโs analytics. Market expansion. Long-view storytelling. It is not a game. It is real work, real positioning, real leadership development.
This is not an Xbox.
And yet… It is.
Because when I sit at my desk and open my Surface, I am inside the Xbox ecosystem. When I analyze data to understand indie game markets, I am shaping what Xbox will become. When I reach for my phone, my screen, my tools… I realize all of it connects.
I was in bed, having breakfast, and said, This is not an Xbox. Then I moved to my laptop and said, This is an Xbox. Then I looked at my phone and thought, This too is an Xbox. That is the point. It is not about the device. It is about what it enables. And that is exactly what this internship is teaching me.
Itโs not just a brand evolution. Itโs a framework for thinking. Xbox is not about hardware. It is about access, expansion, and imagination.
And by that definition, this internship is exactly what it claims to be. This is an Xbox.
Feminine Silence, Disrupting the Game
I have spent the past few years working on several books, and as I plan to publish 3 of them as I turn 30, I shared with Miguel, one of my colleagues, that he is mentioned in one of the books I am writing titled: Feminine Silence. Feminine Silence is a personal and professional reflection on womanhood, power, and restraint.
On my arrival to Redmond, he gifted me a copy of Disrupting the Game by Reggie Fils-Aimรฉ, the former president and COO of Nintendo of America. As I read the book, I get to appreciate why he thinks that is a book that I would like: I am a huge fan of corporate america bildungsromans.
It was such a thoughtful gesture. The book is insightful, direct, and rooted in values-driven leadership… exactly the kind of thinking that inspires me as I move deeper into the business of gaming and creative industries.
Documenting the Journey
At the end of my first week, I had the chance to meet Davies Chirwa, a Malawian entrepreneur and media executive based here in Seattle. We had a powerful conversation about storytelling and representation.
He reminded me of something I already knew but hadnโt fully embraced: that my story is worth telling. That African stories, especially those of women in tech and policy and global leadership, have yet to be documented. That this journey of building, pivoting, learning, unlearning matters.
And so here I am, writing this reflection. Not just for you, but for me. So I donโt forget what these first two weeks felt like.
***
Now that Iโve settled in, Iโve set a personal challenge: to meaningfully connect with 180 people before the end of my internship. Microsoft has about 1,400 interns this summer, and near 54,000 employees in Redmond. The culture here is incredibly open. Almost everyone says yes to a coffee chat.
So Iโm scheduling them. With interns. With senior leaders. With managers and visionaries. I want to learn. I want to contribute. I want to be intentional.
Iโm two weeks in. Iโve got ten more to go. And already, I can feel that this is going to be one of the most transformative seasons of my life.
It is burning me out a little, yes. But itโs also lighting something up in me.
And I know Iโll come out the other side stronger, clearer, and more rooted than ever before.
โ
with Gratitude,
Ntha
CONNECT WITH NTHANDA ONLINE:
About the Author
