Becoming a Microsoft Office Specialist is not easy. It requires hours of rigorous studying, practice, and testing to pass the exams, but that didn’t stop Christina Polyanko and Jacqueline Bobadilla, students from Auburn Mountainview High School in Washington. Christina and Jacqueline are among the first students in Washington State to become Microsoft Office 2013 Experts (Christina – Microsoft Office Word 2013 Expert; Jacqueline – Microsoft Office Excel 2013 Expert) making Auburn Moutainview High School the first school in Washington State to have not one, but two students who have achieved 2013 Expert level certifications.
(Microsoft Office Excel 2013 Expert Jacqueline Bobadilla with Assistant Principal, Mr. Steve Dubay of Auburn Mountainview High School)
At AMHS, students passing exams and obtaining certification are rapidly increasing. This success is attributed to AMHS’s mission that all students “achieve high standards of learning in order to become ethically responsible decision makers and lifelong learners”. AMHS believes in its students and encourages all students to strive for goals they, at first, may think are difficult.
“These [Microsoft Office Specialist] exams taught me so much, not only about the actual program [but also] to always push yourself and try to do what you thought was impossible. To see the passing score on the screen was such an accomplishing feeling […] I immediately loved certifying. Mrs. Eckelman believed I would pass an Expert exam in 2013 and encouraged me so I could do things I never knew I was capable of”, says Jacqueline of her experience.
Jacqueline started her certification journey as a way to improve her typing skills. After choosing to take Microsoft Office Word 2010 and passing the exam, she was hooked. Christina also became interested in Microsoft Office certifications in her Junior year at AMHS and by the end of her Junior year, became a Microsoft Office 2010 Master. Both students were interested in the benefits certifications added to their resume and future career.
“I knew this was the next big step for me to be successful”, says Christina about her experience.
With the help and encouragement of Patricia Eckelman, the Business Instructor at AMHS, both students began to study to become Experts. Although the Microsoft Office 2013 exams required hours of studying and were often overwhelming, both Christina and Jacqueline did not give up and continued to inspired each other to succeed.
“I was terrified to take the expert tests, especially when I found out that nobody in the state of Washington had passed them. [But then] I saw the success that a student in my school, Christina Polyanko, had with Word Expert so I decided to advance in trying to certify for Excel 2013 Expert”, says Jacqueline.
(Microsoft Office Word 2013 Expert Christina Polyano, a senior student of Auburn Mountainview High School)
Unlike past Microsoft Office exams, Microsoft Office 2013 exams are project-based, which means a student will produce a product by the end of the exam using the program they are being tested on. This new exam format tests the true ability of the student for maximized proficiency. Office Word and Excel 2013 exams require you to pass two parts in order to be classified as an Expert.
“There are parts of the test where the student must search for a solution themselves, rather than studying the objectives beforehand. Basically, taking a [Microsoft Office 2013] exam requires skill and technology competencies that cannot be studied for, but rather taught through experience using Office 2013”, explains Christina.
To date, Christina has obtained 10 Microsoft Office certifications with Jacqueline holding 15 Microsoft Office certifications – an amazing feat by each of these students.
At CCI Learning, we recognize the accomplishments of both Christina and Jacqueline and are highly impressed with their academic achievements as well as Washington State’s continuing success. In Washington State, 229 students are Microsoft Office Word 2010 Experts and 72 students are Microsoft Office Excel 2010 Experts.
“I would like to congratulate Christina and Jacqueline on achieving their Microsoft Office Specialist Expert 2013 level certifications. The progress that has been made in Washington state is incredible and Auburn Mountainview High School is a shining example of a school going above and beyond to provide their students with the ultimate in desktop productivity skills.” says Malcolm Knox, CEO and President of CCI Learning
Auburn Mountainview High School is a registered Microsoft IT Academy. Since July 1, 2013, AMHS has certified over 70 students as Microsoft Office Specialists and the numbers continues to grow. AMHS teaches students, like Christina and Jacqueline, the value of earning Microsoft Certifications for not only their future as young professionals, but also in this new digital age.
“The technological world that we all live in consumes most of our lives and is constantly evolving, so I thought I’d better keep up with it!”, says Christina.
[Latest Update:] We have just received news that Jacqueline Bobadilla has passed the Microsoft Office Word 2013 exams and has now obtained Expert level certification in both Microsoft Office Word 2013 and Microsoft Office Excel 2013! With two Expert level certifications as well as her certifications in Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2013, Microsoft Office Outlook 2013, and Microsoft Office Access 2013, Jacqueline is the first student in Washington State to be a Microsoft Office Specialist 2013 Master.
To obtain Master level certification, a student must pass the following MOS exams: Microsoft Office Word 2013 Expert, Microsoft Office Excel 2013 Expert, Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2013, and Microsoft Office Outlook 2013 or, Microsoft Office Access 2013, or Microsoft SharePoint 2013, or Microsoft OneNote 2013.
Congratulations to Jacqueline and Auburn Mountainview High School for this amazing accomplishment!
Do you or your students have certification success stories like Auburn Mountainview High School? Share them in the comments below! Contact CCI Learning for more information and how your institution can become a Microsoft IT Academy.
