Aidan Ross, Valparaiso University finance major, was declared the Indiana State Champion in Excel.

Ross, a La Porte native, took an exam to earn his Microsoft Office 365 Excel certification. Each state’s highest-scoring individual is named the champion. In the event of a tie, the person with the faster time to complete the exam is named the winner. Ross achieved a perfect score and had the fastest time in Indiana.

“I figured that I had gotten one of the better scores, seeing as it was perfect, but I didn’t know it would be the best until I got the email telling me so,” Ross said in a press release.

Dr. Paul Rowe, College of Business lecturer, started Valparaiso University’s Excel certification program. Rowe worked for Motorola and Newell-Rubbermaid before switching to teaching.

“When an employer sees that someone has the official Microsoft Excel certification, they know that person has proven, industry-ready knowledge and skills,” Rowe said.

According to Rowe, recent studies show 81% of employers have transitioned to skills-based hiring approaches instead of screening candidates based on their GPA. Since starting the Excel program, the College of Business program has added Word and PowerPoint certifications.

“The idea was that once we got this process down in the College of Business, we could start offering it to other areas at the university, as well as in the local community,” Rowe said.

Ross credits his coursework at the university for his Excel success.

“Before I came to college, I had never really used Excel,” Ross said. “But over my time here I got to learn how to use it. Professor Rowe’s class really expanded my knowledge and that’s where I really took off.”

Rowe said Ross took two of his classes.

“He’s a great student. He’s intellectually curious and asks thought-provoking questions,” Rowe said. “I was not at all surprised when he achieved that perfect score. I am so proud of him because he put in the work and earned it.”