Weir High School graduate Andrew Manteau (center) finished third in Microsoft Excel at the MOS/ACPro World Championships. (Photo provided)

WEIRTON — A Weir High School graduate recently won the bronze medal in an international competition that compared his technology skills to those of students from around the world.

Andrew Manteau, a member of Weir’s Class of 2024, represented West Virginia and the United States at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Anaheim, California. He placed third in the Microsoft Excel (Office 2019) category, becoming the only U.S. student to win a medal among more than 105,000 entries from 87 countries.

Currently in its 22nd year, the MOSWC is an annual competition that tests students’ knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In 2024, more than 900,000 participants worldwide will have taken an exam. Students competing in the Microsoft Excel (Office 2019) category were tasked with creating an informational document for a client that demonstrated their creative skills and knowledge of the software.

“When I took the Excel certification exam last year, I got perfect marks. But I didn’t expect to take first place at the national championships in the US. I made it to the world championships and was just happy to be there,” said Manteau. “Being third in the world is hard to comprehend.”

“Students in the Mountain State are capable of tremendous success, and Andrew’s accomplishment is proof of that,” said state schools Superintendent Michele Blatt. “He has committed himself to academic excellence through career technical education (CTE) and other activities that have put him on the world stage. I am honored to congratulate him, his family and his teachers, all of whom have fostered a love of learning.”

“We are very proud of Andrew’s accomplishments at Weir High School and the Hancock County school system,” said Hancock County Superintendent Dan Enich.

“He graduated with honors and was a member of the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society. We are extremely proud that he placed third in the world and wish him all the best in his studies and beyond.”

Students qualify for state-level competition based on satisfactory scores on Certiport’s certification exams, which are available to West Virginia students. Weir High School creates accelerated academic and career opportunities for CTE students by providing free access to these exams. Manteau focused on administrative support in his CTE courses and earned six Office certifications before graduating, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Word Expert, Excel Expert and Access.

“I have a work-study program, so I think these certificates will help me when I work in college,” Manteau said. “I encourage students to always try. I have these wonderful certificates that I earned for free, and I can take them into the workforce.”

Manteau will study computer science at Case Western Reserve University this fall.

In addition to a bronze medal, Manteau received $2,000 in prize money and a wireless Xbox headset. Man Kit Ung from Macao, China, was awarded gold and En Yu Chou from Taiwan was awarded silver.