Arfa, a promising software programmer from Faisalabad, Pakistan, is believed to be the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in the world, a designation given to outside experts who prove their ability to work with Microsoft technologies. While some teenagers have achieved this feat, it''s far more common among adults seeking to advance their computer careers.

She was nine years, nine months, 11 days, and six hours old when she took the exam. Fully aware of the fact that she''s the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional, she wants to be specific about her age at the time, in case another young programmer emerges someday to challenge what she calls her "world record."

Arfa''s one-on-one meeting with Gates was part of a visit arranged and sponsored by Microsoft to better introduce Arfa to the company, and to give people at headquarters a chance to meet her. The week included lab tours and a series of informal sessions with Microsoft executives and employees, including a Pakistani employee group.
 
She made an impression upon her American hosts through a combination of charm, flattery and boldness uncommon for someone her age writes Todd Bishop, reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer who covered Arfa’s visit. “For example, during Arfa''s meeting with Gates, she presented him with a poem she wrote that celebrated his life story. But she also questioned him about what she perceived to be the relatively small proportion of women on the campus.” It should be balanced, said Arfa, an equal amount of men and an equal amount of women. About 75 percent of Microsoft employees are men, according to company data. Other topics they discussed included her Muslim faith and her hometown, an industrial city known for its textile businesses. "We discovered her, we ran into her, we feel very lucky," said Jawwad Rehman, Microsoft''s country manager in Pakistan, who accompanied her to the company eadquarters in Redmond. "But I''m sure there are many others out there, as well, who don''t have access to the computers or the proper education system" as Arfa did.

Previously unaware of the casual dress code at Microsoft, she said she had expected Gates to be wearing a suit but was surprised to find him in a casual shirt with the top button
open. "I expected that all the people would be here in suits!"

Ultimately, Arfa says, she would like to go to Harvard University or MIT, and then either go to work for Microsoft in its developer division, or become a satellite engineer. These career choices are not the product of a natural progression of her present skill sets. Rather, they are inspired by her concern for global connectivity that is bringing different people together in peace and friendship. For the moment Arfa is studying in class 7 at the Multan City School, with basketball, cycling and horse riding as co-curricular interests. Her father, Amjad Karim, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Armoured Corps, who has just returned from a tour of duty with UN Peacekeepers in the Congo. Her mother Samina has a Masters in Economics that she puts to good use running the family farm in Faisalabad.
Arfa''s accomplishment is "very impressive," said Michael Earls, 33, a software consultant and Microsoft Certified Solution Developer in Atlanta. "The type of thinking that goes into correctly answering those questions is pretty mature. ... Microsoft certifications are not a joke -- they''re highly respected in the industry."
Maths and Physics are Arfa’s favourite subjects, and Enid Blyton’s ‘Secret Seven’ and ‘Famous Five’ her favourite books, although her present read is Louis Fitzbez’s ‘Harriet The Spy’. Arfa has two younger brothers, Daud (4) and Samad (8), and her current best friend is Hira.  
At the International Women’s Conference in Multan’s Bahauddin Zakriya University recently Arfa read a paper to the great appreciation of the 2000 plus delegates. She also inaugurated a computer lab at Karachi’s Sindh Madressa, donated by financiers Khanani & Kalia, and got a commitment from them to donate one to a school in her hometown of Faisalabad as well. These now are the not-so-simple pleasures of a Pakistani pre-teen growing up. So how does she handle all this attention? Her philosophy has the earthy simplicity of youth. “Shyness is in the mind,” she says. “If you feel shy, you will be shy. If you feel confident then you will be confident.” Clearly she is relishing her celebrity status. Great going girl!