TU Dublin Student Shalini Kuruguntla Crowned Microsoft Office Specialist Champion
Earlier this month, Microsoft and Prodigy Learning announced that Shalini Kuruguntla, a third-year Business and Information Technology student based on the University's campus in Blanchardstown, had won the 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) UK & Ireland championships.
The MOS Championship attracts more than 30,000 entrants from across Ireland and the UK each year. Students aged 13 to 22 compete with peers to prove their digital skills in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Shalini was one of 30 finalists invited to the final, where she sat a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification Exam.
Using the top score method, Shalini was crowned the MOS UK & IE Champions 2021 for Excel. She will represent the region in the virtual MOS World Championship Final in November 2021.
Speaking about the experience, Shalini said, "I am still coming to terms with winning this competition, but I'm very relieved that my continuous effort has paid off. I want to thank my lecturers at TU Dublin for all the support and guidance I received; even more special gratitude to Brian Dempsey and David Murphy for always going out of their way to solve my never-ending questions! I'm delighted to be making my family and friends proud, especially my precious aunt, Bhanu, who always believes in me more than anyone else. I want to dedicate this victorious accomplishment to her. It is such an honour to be representing my University and my Country in the World Championship in November 2021. I'm absolutely thrilled about this achievement."
David Murphy, co-ordinator for the MOS implementation and exams for TU Dublin, said, "The Microsoft Office Specialist programme is a core element of the Business Degree programmes offered on the TU Dublin Blanchardstown campus. We take great pride in Shalini's remarkable achievement, which will be an inspiration to all of our current and future undergraduates."
Congratulating the winners, Chris Rothwell, Director of Education, Microsoft UK, said, "It's inspiring each year to celebrate the top talented students showcasing their Office Skills in the Championship. It is incredibly impressive beating over 30,000 peers from across the UK and Ireland to represent their country in the virtual final, something that they can proudly share with future employers to stand out from the competition. They have earned valuable industry recognised certification representing a bright future for our industry and a solid foundation for the future skilled global workforce."
Andrew Flood, the CEO of Prodigy Learning, said it was an honour to host the best of the best digitally skilled students in the MOS UK & Ireland Championship Final. "Celebrating hard work, determination and outstanding talent, we are delighted to virtually crown these Champions who will represent the UK & Ireland at the virtual MOS World Championship Final in November 2021. Certification and participation in this final will stand out on their CV's to employers worldwide as a validation of skills they can use in almost any line of work. Congratulations to Shalini on a remarkable achievement; we're excited to see success unfold for this future leader."
More information about the MOS World Championships is available here.