Jameela Abdur-Rashid
Year: 1999
School of Study:
State University of West Georgia
Major/Minor:
Business Administration
Jameela Esa, granddaughter of Virginia “Peggye” Dowell, is a former recipient of the Waugh Watkins Scholarship, in 1999. She is currently a manager and cloud engineer at Microsoft, where she leads a team of developer Azure support specialists. She has a solid background in software development and support, and she is certified in various Microsoft technologies, such as Azure Fundamentals, Artificial Intelligence, and .NET. She has also earned multiple awards for her outstanding technical acumen and leadership, including the Customer Service and Support Award.
In addition to her career at Microsoft, Jameela was the founder and director of Risala Academy, a school she established in 2008 for African refugees. The school, which catered to students from PreK to 8th grade, was managed by Jameela who led a team of nine teachers and served 120 students. She faced many challenges, such as securing funding, developing a enriching curriculum, and hiring qualified staff, but she overcame them with her dedication and vision. Jameela also contributed to the academic community by teaching online courses on critical thinking at Axia College of University of Phoenix. Her teachings helped students enhance their analytical and problem-solving skills. Prior to these roles, Jameela owned an IT business where she offered services such as website development and computer repairs.
Jameela has a master’s degree in computer information systems and a bachelor’s degree in business information systems. She is also a licensed real estate agent in Georgia, where she successfully runs a real estate business. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and doing community service. She has visited many countries, such as Kenya, UAE, Jordan, and Kuwait, and she has volunteered for various organizations, such as Blacks at Microsoft, Georgia Women in Outdoors, ICNA, and Red Cross. She is passionate about giving back to the Georgia community and using technology to improve lives.