Blue Mountain students shine at statewide competition
Hundreds of students from dozens of school districts across the state competed in the 2024 Fall Qualifier Microsoft Office Specialist Pennsylvania State Championship. They took tests on specific Microsoft Office programs, with their scores then compared to their competitors to determine who did best.
The four Blue Mountain students who earned top 10 finishes in their categories are freshmen instructed by Tom Kanger, lead teacher in the high school business department.
They are Logan Bachert, who finished first in the Microsoft 365 Apps category, Nicholas Smith and Evan Bixler, who finished fourth and ninth in that category, respectively, and Krash Long, who finished sixth in the Office 2019 category.
Students aged 13 to 22 were eligible to participate in one of six competition tracks by submitting a qualified, passing score on certification exams, meaning the Blue Mountain students are all now certified in those programs.
'We have seen amazing results from the Microsoft Office Specialist program at our school as students learn and validate key workforce skills,' Kanger said. 'We are proud of these students who have proven to be the best in our state. We know they will go on to make us proud.'
Competition organizers said that the skills the students earned in preparation for the competition will serve them well in both their academic and career pursuits.
Bachert said that his first-place finish makes him more confident that he'll be able to overcome future challenges as well.
'It's really cool knowing that I'm an official Microsoft Word specialist, because it really let me prove to myself that I have the ability to do well with this, and many other things,' he said.
Smith admitted to some early nerves while taking the test but said he was able to overcome them.
'I was nervous at the beginning, but it got easier after starting the test and it is good to know I can pass a national certification exam,' he said.
Kanger, who has been teaching business at Blue Mountain for 20 years, said that his students put a lot of work into preparing for their tests and to compete against students from across Pennsylvania.
Bachert and Smith both finished with perfect scores in their categories, he said, but Bachert earned first for finishing the exam more quickly.
'These are really important certifications, and they all did extraordinary,' he said.
'I'm not sure that they like all of those hours or work, but when they did well on their exams, they got happy. They're good kids. I'm proud of them.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
Your Employees Are Terrified Of AI. Here's How To Prepare Them.
If you've been anywhere on the planet over the past few years you have likely seen the countless predictions of how AI is going to take away jobs. Hundreds of millions of jobs globally according to some reports! How can people not be terrified of this? Well, they are. Your employees are terrified too. And it's hard not to empathize. AI is already replacing workers at tech companies, Wall Street firms and retailers and some fear greater job losses in the not too distant future. More companies like Microsoft and PayPal are now publicly admitting how they're using this technology to reduce their headcounts. Other cost cutting measures – driven by AI and other technology advances - are leading big brands like Citi, Accenture, Tesla and Intel and other corporate giants to lay off tens of thousands of workers. Articles appear almost daily about the jobs most likely to go away thanks to AI. New job seekers are facing challenges finding work, not only because of a slowing economy but because of cutbacks fueled by technology. So it's understandable why your employees would be concerned. But – as business owners – we know that they really shouldn't be. We need them. Especially the good ones. So here's how you can prepare your workforce for the inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable impact that AI will have on your business and their livelihoods. Drill Down On Your Software Vendors Big brands are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build their own internal systems for writing code, interacting with customers and performing tasks behind the scenes. But what about smaller organizations? Most will not be writing their own AI applications. They'll be leaning on the features introduced by their software vendors. As I write this, the technology firms that make accounting, customer relationship management, human resources, order entry, inventory management and other business applications are doing just that: investing millions in new AI capabilities for their platforms. Owners and managers need to spend time with their most significant software vendors and understand what AI features and functionality they're rolling out and then choose which of these functions will provide the most ROI for their companies. The reality is that AI isn't going to impact all of a business. But it will impact certain parts where it makes the most sense. Those parts need to be determined. Why? Because people will be affected. Train Your People. For Real This Time. Let me guess: your business has Microsoft Office or Google Workspace and you're percent of their features? Don't make this mistake again and don't do this with your AI investments. Once you choose which AI features you'll be focusing on (see above) then spend the money on training your people for real this time and then lean heavily into those features. Not only is it critical for your business to leverage whatever automation tools are available but you'll find it making a huge positive impact on your employees' attitudes towards these technologies. Help your employees to become experts in AI for their jobs. They'll gain confidence in themselves and a new appreciation for how AI will make their jobs easier and their lives better. Most fear is caused by uncertainty and ignorance. Training will remove those factors. Understand Your Demographics A recent study found that a staggering 85 percent of ChatGPT's mobile users are male. Other studies have shown that older people use AI differently than younger generations. And more research has revealed that six in ten GenZers use AI for education and 30 percent of younger generations use it weekly. Meanwhile, most older generations rely on AI mainly for work and professional tasks like helping with emails. It's important to tailor your training and your approach to AI based on who your people are. Don't advertise your intentions Shopify's CEO recently stated that his company won't hire workers unless it can be proven that AI won't do their job instead. Consumer financing firm Klarna boasted that their AI model would replace 700 customer service agents. The CEOs of Ford, JP Morgan and Amazon have all publicly stated that AI will be helping them to cut headcount. To me, none of these announcements say "hey, we love our people." Imagine working at at these firms. What would you think? You'd be afraid for your job. And that will impact your productivity and commitment. My advice: don't be like these CEO's. Whatever AI plans you have for your business, keep them close to the chest. It's likely – as a small business owner – that these plans will not involve cutting headcount, only increasing productivity. But your employees won't know that and could interpret your statements differently. And given AI's rapid change, those plans can change. Even Klarna's CEO walked back his claims after realizing that, depending on the issue, customers want to speak with humans. Duh! Change your KPIs Speaking of change, AI should cause you to change your Key Performance Indicators - or KPIs – that you're likely using to measure your people. Your AI investments are intended to increase productivity and that's what your metrics should be about. The whole reason why you're investing in this stuff is not to get rid of people, but to help them do things quicker. Because of this, you should change your focus to KPIs that emphasize productivity like output per employee, revenue per employee, task completion rates, billable utilization rates and error rates. Finally, be realistic and transparent The narrative is that employers will leap at the opportunity to replace their workers with bots, fire their employees, save money and increase their profits. And there's no denying that some jobs will be replaced. New technologies have a way of doing that. But business owners like myself - and just about all of my clients - know better. There's myth and there's reality. The myth is that everything will be done by AI and few workers will be needed. The reality is that AI is in its infancy and it's no where near the stage where we can rely on it to take away the core responsibilities that are being done by our very valuable employees. But make no mistake: these tools will get better, more accurate and more reliable over time. AI agents will start assuming tasks behind the scenes. And employers will be using them to do the work that employees are now doing. Which means you have to be realistic and transparent with your people. If they don't lean into these tools or their KPIs lag behind others, then you may have to make changes. You have a business to run. If an employee doesn't adapt to other tasks and adjusts to this new reality then yes, they may be out of a job. This is just a fact. But if you provide your people with the right training and context for your AI investments, your best workers will see the opportunity and step up to the plate. Those will be the ones who will not only help your business succeed but themselves will grow into better professionals.
Entrepreneur
4 days ago
- Entrepreneur
Why Pay Monthly for Microsoft Office When You Can Pay $50 Once?
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you'll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. Those who run a business know how quickly monthly software subscriptions add up. That's why this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 lifetime license is a game-changer for entrepreneurs, managers, and anyone who depends on a rock-solid productivity suite with uninterrupted access. For just $49.97 (MSRP: $219.99), you'll get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access — installed on one Windows PC for life. No recurring fees. No renewal notices. Just the apps you need, ready whenever you are. Whether you're creating client proposals in Word, building budgets in Excel, presenting strategies in PowerPoint, managing your calendar in Outlook, or even designing marketing materials in Publisher, this is the professional-grade toolkit that keeps your business moving forward. Unlike cloud-only alternatives, Microsoft Office Professional 2021 gives you the flexibility to work exactly how you want — whether you're on a plane finishing a proposal, in a client meeting reviewing spreadsheets, or in the office fine-tuning a presentation. And because it's installed directly on your PC, you won't lose access to critical files or features if your internet connection drops. That's the kind of reliability every business leader needs. And because you own it outright, you never have to worry about losing access during a busy season or watching subscription costs creep up. This one-time payment gets you the same robust, offline-ready Microsoft Office apps trusted by Fortune 500 companies — but without the ongoing cost. If your business runs on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, there's no reason to keep paying month after month when you can own your Office apps for life. Get lifetime access to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for just $49.97 (MSRP: $219.99) while you still can. Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.
New York Post
11-08-2025
- New York Post
Two of Microsoft's biggest products, one absurdly low lifetime price
Discover startups, services, products and more from our partner StackCommerce. New York Post edits this content, and may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. TL;DR: For $54.97, get lifetime access to Microsoft Office and Windows 11 Pro to install on one PC. If your workday runs on Microsoft, this bundle gets you set for the long haul — and for a fraction of what you'd expect to pay. For $54.97, you get lifetime licenses to both Microsoft Office Professional 2021 and Windows 11 Pro. That means no monthly fees, no renewal notices, just the full software, installed and ready to go on your PC. Office Pro 2021 delivers all the essentials: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams (free version), OneNote, Publisher, and Access. Whether you're handling data-heavy reports, building presentations from scratch, or keeping client projects organized, the tools are all here. Advertisement On the OS side, Windows 11 Pro gives you Microsoft's latest interface, faster workflows, and enterprise‑grade security. Features like BitLocker encryption, Windows Sandbox, Hyper‑V virtualization, and Azure AD support make it a strong choice for professionals, while everyday enhancements like snap layouts, improved search, and built‑in Teams keep you moving quickly. Gamers get DirectX 12 Ultimate for high‑end graphics, and creative users can take advantage of touchscreen support and the integrated Copilot AI assistant for faster answers, summaries, and even code suggestions. Both licenses are lifetime — install them once and they're yours for good. Office Pro 2021 is compatible with Windows 10 and 11, while Windows 11 Pro's requirements include a 1 GHz or faster processor, 4 GB of RAM, and TPM 2.0 support. Skip the subscriptions and download Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro for a one-time payment of $54.97 (MSRP $418.99). StackSocial prices subject to change.
