Melinda Gates's Quotes

My background was computer science and business school, so eventually I worked my way up where I was running product groups - development, testing, marketing, user education.

There are absolutely lots of teachers who are trying to come into the profession, but they are not attracted enough to say, 'I'm going to switch careers to do it,' or they are often not retained... because the salaries and the compensation aren't there to make it happen.

There's a false perception that women in Africa somehow don't love their babies they way we do, don't grieve their loss the way we would. That is simply not true.

We would be driving down the street in a place like Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, and started to see, my gosh, the only people that have shoes are men. Why does that woman have a baby in her belly and one on her back, and she's carrying a huge load of bananas? You start to ask these questions.

If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also that you are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped.

It is still just unbelievable to us that diarrhea is one of the leading causes of child deaths in the world.

After a number of years dating, we decided we were good partners.

All lives have an equal value.

But we also believe in taking risks, because that's how you move things along.

I care much more about saving the lives of mothers and babies than I do about a fancy museum somewhere.

I learn in a different way. I learn experientially.

I realized that the only way to get into a good college was to be valedictorian or salutatorian. So that was my goal.

I think the Americans need to understand that a lot of times the children are bored in school, and that is why they are not staying in.

I want to live as private a life as I can because of our children.

I'm constantly saying to myself, 'I'm lucky I was born in the United States.'

I'm wholehearted about whatever I do.

Kids are falling through the cracks and nobody notices it. That to me is what's wrong with the school system.

Microsoft certainly makes products for the Macintosh.

The premise of this foundation is one life on this planet is no more valuable than the next.

We have to be careful in how we use this light shined on us.

We started this mostly from an intellectual place.

We talk a lot in our home together about where we're going, what I'm doing.

Women around the world should have a tool that helps them plan their pregnancies.

You can have the best vaccines for a woman or her child, but if you can't get her to come and get them then they won't work.

You can't save kids just with vaccines.

Government funding that's coming from the United States is making a huge difference on the ground in the developing world. It's really palpable - it's making a huge difference saving lives.