Andrew Manteau (center) receives his award at the Microsoft® Office Specialist World Championship.
Charleston, W.Va. – A West Virginia student claimed the bronze medal in a recent international competition that matched his technology skills against those of students from around the world. Andrew Manteau, a 2024 Weir High School graduate, represented West Virginia and the U.S. during the Microsoft® Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC) in Anaheim, California. He earned third place in the Microsoft Excel® (Office 2019) category as the only student from the U.S. to medal among more than 105,000 submissions from 87 countries.
The MOSWC, currently in its 22nd year, is an annual competition that tests students’ knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel® and PowerPoint®. More than 900,000 participants around the world completed an exam in 2024. Students competing in the Microsoft Excel® (Office 2019) category were tasked with creating an informational document for a client that showcased their creative skills and knowledge of the software.
“This past year, when I took the Excel® certification test, I ended up getting a perfect score. But I didn’t even expect to get first in the U.S. when I competed at nationals. I advanced to the World competition, and I was just happy to be there,” said Manteau. “Third in the world is hard to fully comprehend.”
“Students in the Mountain State are capable of tremendous success, and Andrew’s accomplishment is proof of that,” said State Superintendent of Schools Michele L. Blatt. “He has committed himself to academic excellence through career technical education (CTE) and other pursuits that have set him on the world stage. I am honored to congratulate him, his family and his instructors who all fostered a love of learning.”
“We are very proud of Andrew’s accomplishments at Weir High School and in the Hancock County School System,” said Hancock County Superintendent Dan Enich. “He is a ‘highest honors’ graduate and was a member of the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society. We are beyond proud that he finished third worldwide and we wish him all the best in college and beyond.”
Students qualify for the state-level competition based on satisfactory scores on Certiport’s certification exams, which are available to West Virginia students. Weir High School creates accelerated academic and career opportunities for CTE students by offering free access to these exams. Manteau focused on administrative support through his CTE courses, and he earned six Office certifications before graduating including:
- Outlook®
- Word
- PowerPoint®
- Word Expert
- Excel® Expert
- Access
“I have work study so, I think these certifications will help me when I’m working in college,” Manteau said. “I encourage students to always go for it. I have these wonderful certifications that I earned for free, and I can take them with me into the workforce.” He will study computer science at Case Western Reserve University this fall.
In addition to a bronze medal, Manteau received a $2,000 cash prize and an Xbox®wireless headset. Man Kit Ung from Macao, China, was awarded gold, and En Yu Chou from Taiwan earned silver.
Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, is the leading provider of certification exam development, delivery and program management services delivered through an expansive network of over 13,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide.
