SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – June 24, 2019
Certiport, a ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ VUE business and the leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners, today announced the winners of the 2019 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) U.S. National Championship. The champions topped 146 finalists at the event in Orlando, Florida, and the first-place winners will now head to New York City, NY for the MOS World Championship from July 28-31.
Across the U.S., more than 365,000 students age 13 to 22 entered one of six competition tracks by submitting a qualified, passing score on any of the following exams: Microsoft Office Specialist Word® (2016 or 2013), Microsoft Office Specialist Excel® (2016 or 2013) and Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint® (2016 or 2013). First place winners received a $3,000 cash prize, second place $1,500 and third place $750.
The MOS U.S. National Champions are as follows:
MOS Word 2016
First place, Olivia Martin, Caldwell County High School, Kentucky
Second place, Robert Nguyen, United Christian Academy, California
Third place, Brandon Rasmussen, Twin Falls High School, Idaho
MOS Excel 2016
First place, Bruce Beuzard IV, LAYC Career Academy, District of Columbia
Second place, Dalton Goodson, Central Freshman Academy, Alabama
Third place, Dane Thompson, Pike Valley High School, Kansas
MOS PowerPoint 2016
First place, Seth Maddox, Geraldine High School, Alabama
Second place, Karleigh Claussen, Princess Anne High School, Virginia
Third place, Forrest Liu, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, North Carolina
MOS Word 2013
First place, Jacob Riffel, Miamisburg High School, Ohio
Second place, Karolina Kotlarz, Easton Area High School, Pennsylvania
Third place, Natalie Anderson, Cavelero Mid High School, Washington
MOS Excel 2013
First place, Fariz Firdausi, Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Louisiana
Second place, Raaga Vangala, Cavelero Mid High School, Washington
Third place, Krzysztof Grochal, Perth Amboy Vocational Technical School, New Jersey
MOS PowerPoint 2013
First place, Ashlyn Dumaw, Green Hope High School, North Carolina
Second place, Bailey Griffin, Lake Stevens High School, Washington
Third place (tie), Cassius T. Peterson, Cavelero Mid High School, Washington and Kylie DeNiro, Copper Mountain Middle School, Utah
“Every year we look forward to recognizing these students who have worked so hard to master Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint,” said Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ VUE. “They may be young, but they are mastering the skills that employers need in the workplace. Even more inspiring than watching these MOS U.S. National Champions go on to compete at the World Championship is to see what they do beyond the competition in college and career.”
Finalists were given a printed copy of a document, spreadsheet or presentation to recreate along with printed instructions and digital assets. They were then scored according to the accuracy of the recreation compared to the original. The champions in each program, along with a chaperone, have won a trip to participate in the 2019 MOS World Championship in New York City, NY where they will compete with more than 150 other finalists from 40 countries.
"We are proud to support the MOS program and see the powerful impact it has on young lives – not just the champions, but everyone who earns certification,” said Anthony Salcito, Vice President, Education at Microsoft. “We support both the MOS U.S. National and World Championship events and are always impressed with the caliber of participants. These students have proven they can use Microsoft Office tools effectively, which will serve them well both in further academic pursuits and in any career.”
Professional photos of the event can be found . Links to download winner interviews can be found .