Nigerian Student Wins US Microsoft Competition

A Nigerian student in the United States, Preston Nnadi, has emerged winner of the Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship, which was held recently in Orlando, Florida.

Nnadi,who just completed his sophomore year at Steele Early College High School, ECHS, topped 195 finalists at the live competitive event and was named the Microsoft PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 Apps) U.S. National Champion.

As the first-place winner, Preston received a $3,000 cash prize, gold medal of Achievement and earned an all-expenses paid trip to compete at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Anaheim, California, between Sunday, July 28 and 31.

According to the organizers, more than 98,500 students ages 13 to 22 across the United States entered the competition by submitting a qualified, passing score on one of certification exams for Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint.

There are two qualifying periods to enter: the Fall Qualifier and the Spring Qualifier. At the end of each competition qualifying round, invitations are issued to the students with the top scores in their exam category, for a total of twelve students from each state possible.

During the live competitive event, finalists were given a printed copy of a document, spreadsheet, or presentation to recreate along with printed instructions and digital assets. They were then scored according to the accuracy of the recreation compared to the original.

Commenting on his achievement, Nnadi said “Embarking on my sophomore year at Tarrant County College feels like opening a new chapter in my tech-driven journey.

“From a young age, my life has been intricately woven with a passion for computers and programming—a well-crafted code that defines my path.

“My innate desire to solve problems and make a tangible difference using code has been a constant driving force for me. The journey unfolds with my exploration of new horizons, a showcase of evolving projects residing on GitHub, and a comprehensive display of my certifications and skills on my Eportfolio.

Beyond the lines of code, I’ve emerged as an enthusiastic explorer of emerging technologies—a perpetual learner always eager to adapt. Along this educational odyssey, I’ve diligently completed various certifications offered by my school, refining not just my coding skills but also, enhancing my time management and problem-solving abilities.”