Each day, thousands of people power-up and click into one of the world’s most used software programs, Microsoft Office Word. Most people open Word merely to type a document, but there are a few people who go beyond the surface, becoming experts in its operation and learning to utilize the program to its full potential. They sometimes even earn the Microsoft Office Specialist Word Certification, a prestigious certificate that Microsoft awards to successful testers after passing a rigorous quiz.

Here at WHS, there is a select group of students who have successfully passed Microsoft’s certification quiz. Most recently among them is freshman Dillon Clare, a Business Computer Applications 1 (BCA1) student.  “This is a huge honor,” business teacher Jeffrey Leavitt said.

The certification has many benefits, including looking excellent on a resume. Employers often look at what skills a potential employee possesses, including their technological skills on a computer, often with popular programs like Word.

“It’s like knowing a foreign language,” Clare said. “It makes me a more valuable worker.”

Clare is currently the only student who has passed the test this year, according to Leavitt. He estimates less than 50-percent of students who take the test will pass. Having been certified in a Microsoft Office program himself, he knows first hand how difficult it is to pass.

“It’s not just double space this, bold that,” Leavitt said. “It’s pretty complicated.”

The test, which is free, is available to all BCA students. Although difficult to pass, and requiring a lot of hard work, Clare is very happy to be certified. Likewise, Leavitt is also pleased. He believes it is a neat opportunity for students to put themselves above others.

“You can put this on a resume to distinguish yourself,” Leavitt said. “You are going to be able to say: ‘I passed this industry-recognized certification’.”