Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College students place in the 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist Kentucky State Championship Spring Qualifier

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Winners of the 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Kentucky State Championship Spring Qualifier have been announced by Certiport, a Pearson business and leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities.

Students from Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College earned multiple top placements in the statewide competition, showcasing excellence in Microsoft Office applications.

SKYCTC Students Ranked in the Top Ten

• 1st Place – Halle Barnum (Warren County) – Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365 Apps)
• 2nd Place – Aliza Wilson (Logan County) – Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps) – Russellville High School Dual Credit student
• 4th Place – Ahmedina Mustafic (Warren County) – Microsoft PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 Apps)
• 5th Place – Andrew Cline – Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019) – South Warren High School Dual Credit student
• 2nd Place – Trent Johnson – Microsoft Word (Office 2019) – South Warren High School Dual Credit student
• 9th Place – Jarrod Uland – Microsoft Word (Office 2019) – South Warren High School Dual Credit student
• 3rd Place – Chapter Tims – Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps) – Greenwood High School Dual Credit student
• 4th Place – Barrett Zies – Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps) – Greenwood High School Dual Credit student
• 5th Place – Chase Wallace – Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps) – Greenwood High School Dual Credit student
• 6th Place – Bawi Lian Hmung – Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps) – Greenwood High School Dual Credit student
• 8th Place – Owen Adams – Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps) – Greenwood High School Dual Credit student
• 9th Place – Brooklyn Emedi – Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps) – Greenwood High School Dual Credit student
• 10th Place – Stuart Scott – Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps) – Greenwood High School Dual Credit student

To compete in the Spring Qualifier, students ages 13 to 22 were eligible to participate in one of six competition tracks by submitting a qualified passing score on the MOS Word, Excel®, or PowerPoint® certification exams by May 4, 2026.

“We have seen amazing results from the MOS program at our school as students learn and validate key workforce skills,” said Carmen Gaskins, Computer & Information Technologies Professor and Program Coordinator at SKYCTC. “The MOS U.S. National Championship further motivates them to get certified, and 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 at the MOS U.S. National Championship in June.”

“We’re impressed by these students,” said Krista Ketchmark, Vice President of Certiport and Global IT Business Development for Pearson. “They have proven they are the best in their state at using Microsoft Office products effectively. Plus, they now have an important distinction to place on their resume that shows a desire to learn and validate in-demand skills. The title ‘Microsoft Office Specialist Champion’ will serve them well in their academic and career pursuits.”

The Microsoft Office Specialist certification is the only official Microsoft-recognized certification for Microsoft Office globally and serves as a powerful tool for assessing students’ skills and preparing them for real-world application of their knowledge.

For more information about the MOS U.S. National Championship, visit MOS U.S. National Championship. For information on computer courses and earning MOS certifications at SKYCTC, contact Kim Otto at kim.otto@kctcs.edu.