Three students from the Valparaiso University College of Business have been named Indiana State Champions in the Microsoft Office Suite (MOS) Specialist Spring Qualifier. Douglas Newton took first place in the Excel competition, Madeline Poppe ’27 in Word, and Julia Sullivan ’26 was named champion in Powerpoint.
“I knew that I was in the running to be a top scorer at the state level, but I wasn’t expecting an email with the results until a few months after the end of the semester,” said Poppe, an accounting major. “It was a very pleasant surprise to open up the email and learn that I was the state champion.”
State championships in MOS applications are won as part of the certification process for each program. Competitors are judged based on how well they perform on their proctored, standard-based exams, and — in the event of tied scores — how quickly they were able to complete the test.
Thanks largely to the efforts of Dr. Paul Rowe, Lecturer of Information and Decision Sciences with the College of Business, Valparaiso University is one of the few institutes of higher education that not only teaches these programs, but pushes students to achieve official certification. This approach gives students the tools they’ll need to stand out among their peers when going into the workforce.
“I plan to work in operations and supply chain or HR after I graduate,” said Sullivan, a business management major. “I use Microsoft office skills every day in my internship program, and they will continue to help me succeed throughout my career.”
The program has seen tremendous success, with Aiden Ross 25’ being named the state champion in Microsoft Excel during his certification process of the Fall 2024 semester. For more information on his success, read the story here. In the spring of 2024, six Valpo students placed in the top ten in the State for excel, with Savannah Gostlin ’25 taking second.
In addition to her achievements in her major, Sullivan is a student in Christ College — the Honors College, St. Teresa of Avila campus ministry, Hooked on Tonics acapella group, and more. Poppe is a member of Kappa Delta and an employee at the Center for Games and Interactive entertainment. Giving students the opportunity to explore and excel in numerous, diverse interests is another part of how Valpo fosters well-rounded servant-leaders.
For more information on the competitions, visit their website here. To see the other competitions where students at Valpo’s College of Business are finding success, click here.
