Business Student Secures Spot in Microsoft Championship With Perfect Score

Quinsigamond Community College student Austin Cunningham became the college's first Microsoft Office Specialist Massachusetts State Champion. He will compete in Certiport’s 2024 Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship in Orlando, Florida in June 2024. Austin qualified for the championship not only for his perfect score on the Microsoft Word exam, but also for the time it took him to complete the exam.

“I was in complete shock when I saw the perfect score after the exam. To learn about the championship was even more of a shock,” Austin said. “I am looking forward to competing for the chance at either moving on to the World Championship or receiving a scholarship, possibly meeting new people during the social events and also spending time around Disney with my mom, who is a huge Disney fan.”

Thanks to funding from QCC’s STEM Starter Academy, students in Computer Information Systems (CIS) 111 and 112 are offered the Microsoft Office exams as an optional activity and even better, they don’t have to incur the exam fee.

“This is a great opportunity for students to have industry-recognized credentials on their resume,” said Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems Gargi Chug.

Chug added that when students sign up for the Microsoft Office exams they also gain free access to extra study materials that build on the skills they are learning in QCC’s CIS 111 and 112 courses. Chug said students who utilize the study materials often end up exceeding their expectations in the classroom.

“We are so proud of Austin. His accomplishment is a perfect example of what our community college students can achieve,” said QCC President Luis G. Pedraja, Ph.D. “His future, like so many of our students, is bright with promise.”

Austin, a Business Administration Transfer student, wants to pursue a career in accounting. While he has been using Microsoft products at his current job as a bookkeeper, he said that the CIS courses, along with the Microsoft exam practice materials, have enhanced his understanding of the many tools available in Microsoft and feels this will propel him further in the accounting industry.

“Any time you have a certification like this, employers know that those standards have been followed and this person took the time to study. Students who pass these exams can then officially display their credentials on platforms such as LinkedIn,” said Professor and Coordinator of the Computer Information Systems program Charulata Trivedi.