West Virginia student earns bronze medal at international tech competition

CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — A student from Hancock County, West Virginia came in third place in a world tech competition.

According to a press release from the West Virginia Department of Education, Andrew Manteau, a 2024 graduate of Weir High School, competed in the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC) in Anaheim, California.

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. Third in the world is hard to fully comprehend. I have work study so, I think these certifications will help me when I’m working in college. 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.

Andrew Manteau

The press release stated that out of more than 105,000 submissions from 87 countries, Manteau was the only U.S. student to earn a medal. Manteau, who was representing the U.S. and West Virginia, received a bronze medal in the Microsoft Excel (Office 2019) category.

Students in the Mountain State are capable of tremendous success, and Andrew’s accomplishment is proof of that. 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.

Michele L. Blatt | State Superintendent of Schools

The necessary scores on Certiport’s certification exams, available to West Virginia students, are how students qualify for the state-level competition. CTE students at Weir High School have free access to the exam, helps give them access to other career and academic opportunities.

We are very proud of Andrew’s accomplishments at Weir High School and in the Hancock County School System. 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.

Dan Enich | Hancock County Superintendent

According to the press release, before Manteau graduated, he concentrated on administrative support and received six Office certifications. The certifications that he earned include: Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Word Expert, Excel Expert, and Access. The release stated that in Fall 2024, Manteau would go on to study computer science at Case Western Reserve University.

Manteau not only earned a bronze medal, he also got an Xbox wireless headset and a $2,000 cash prize. En Yu Chou from Taiwan received the silver medal, and Man Kit Ung from Macao, China, received the gold medal.

The Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC) is a competition that takes place annually and is on its 22nd year. The competition allows students to show their knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

In 2024, more than 900,000 people participated in the competition from across the world. Those who were involved in the Microsoft Excel (Office 2019) category portion of the competition were required to make a document for a client that allowed them to show the knowledge and skills they learned about the necessary software.

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