Lake Land College Business students among top three scorers at state competition

For Immediate Release –

Lake Land College Business students among top three scorers at state competition

Lake Land College students Austin White, Paris, and Breanna Moore, Mattoon, earned first place in Microsoft Word(Office 2016) and third place in Microsoft PowerPoint(Office 2016) respectively at the 2020 Microsoft Office Specialist State Championship Fall Qualifier competition.

“I am very excited and very proud of Austin’s and Breanna’s accomplishments,” Business Instructor/Director of Court Reporting Program/Coordinator for Office Professionals Lisa Earp said. “I applaud them for their hard work in mastering their Microsoft skills. This is the first time any of our students have placed in the top three in the state.”

This competition is a precursor to the Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship competition presented by Certiport, Inc. to test students’ skills on Microsoft Office 2016 or 2019 programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.

The Microsoft Office Specialist Program by Certiport offers students the opportunity to learn all of the features and functionality of Microsoft Office programs. This develops the students’ skills and knowledge to prepare them for future success in workforce or academic settings.

Ordinarily, Certiport issues six invitations per each fall and spring qualifying period with the top students in each exam category going on to represent their respective states on a national level at the Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship.

While the 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) U.S. National Championship was canceled this year due to the continued difficulties and concerns with the ongoing pandemic, both students have been recognized and have received certificates for their accomplishments.

For information on how to earn these Microsoft Office Specialist certifications, please contact Lisa Earp at learp@lakelandcollege.edu. For information on how to get started in a business program at Lake Land College, contact Counseling Services at counsel@lakelandcollege.edu or 217-234-5232.