MBU Achieves Top Ranking for Microsoft Excel Readiness

Mary Baldwin University is now Virginia’s top school for helping students achieve certification in Microsoft Office Excel. The achievement comes after three years of 100 percent pass rates among students — and an unprecedented perfect, expert-level examination score from Zachary Zintak ’23.

Zintak logged the highest score in the state, and is slated to compete in the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship this June. The invite-only event is open to U.S. students aged 13–22.

Zintak logged the highest score in the state, and is slated to compete in the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship this June. The invite-only event is open to U.S. students aged 13–22, and winners will go on to compete in a world championship. 

Microsoft Office certification tracks, offered through MBU’s business program, are part of an interdisciplinary general education curriculum engineered to prepare students for workforce success. There are three levels of certification. 

The first “prepares students for work in their MBU classes and gives them the skills to proficiently use [Microsoft Office] in their everyday lives,” said MBU quantitative center director and associate professor of business, Janet Ewing.  “As they finish level three and certify nationally, it opens the door to many job opportunities, as employers increasingly demand evidence of [these skills, and with Excel in particular].”