Lake County Gazette

Granite City High School announced that two freshmen placed in the top-10 of the 2024 Fall Qualifier Microsoft Office Specialist Illinois State Championship. Certiport, a leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams, made the announcement.

Cristian Marquez secured seventh place in the Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint category, while Eli Prange took eighth place in the Microsoft Office Specialist Excel category.

Marquez and Prange competed against students from across Illinois for their placements. Both students also earned the title "Microsoft Office Specialist" by obtaining certification in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The competition was open to students aged 13 to 22 who submitted a qualified, passing score on the Microsoft Office Specialist Word, Excel, or PowerPoint certification exams by December 20, 2024.

"We have seen amazing results from the Microsoft Office Specialist program at our school as students learn and validate key workforce skills," said Kellie Hutchings, GCHS Business Teacher. "We are proud of these students who have proven to be the best in our state. "

Certiport's Microsoft Office Specialist program is backed by Microsoft and is an industry-recognized certification that assesses students' Microsoft Office skills and prepares them for real-world application of their knowledge.

For more information about Granite City School District #9, visit www.gcsd9.net.