Fayette County High School student Jake Ruiz won first place in the nation for his skills using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Ruiz, 17, earned the award at the Microsoft Office Specialist National Competition in Park City, Utah, in June, and he represented the United States during the Microsoft Specialist Worldwide Competition in Washington, D.C., from July 31 to Aug. 3.
Ruiz emerged from more than 140,000 students who sought to prove their knowledge of Microsoft computer programs. Six finalists took timed exams and conducted interviews to prove their expertise.
Business education instructor Jennifer Metcalfe said Ruiz aced the PowerPoint exam on his first try in Fayette County High’s MOS certification, which is part of the Administration and Information Support Pathway.
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Seven students from the Atlanta area are semifinalists in the Broadcom MASTERS science and engineering middle school competition.
They’re among 300 semifinalists from across the country, and 30 finalists will be named Aug. 27 to compete for a $25,000 prize.
The semifinalists are Andrea Augustine of Eagles Landing Middle School, Eddie Thurmon of Alton C. Crews Middle School, Matthew Warth of Alton C. Crews Middle School, Abhiramgopal Akella Five Forks Middle School, Judy Liu of Trickum Middle School, Aja Weary of Memorial Middle School and Irene Zhou of River Train Middle School.
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Georgia Tech senior Claudia Lara has been selected as a Buick Achievers scholarship worth up to $25,000 a year for up to four years for her excellence in the classroom and community.
Lara majors in industrial engineering and plans to pursue a career in the automotive industry.
She interned for Chrysler this summer and is a member of The Society of Women Engineers.
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Sixth grader Trent Schwiezer at Notre Dame Academy in Duluth earned his school a new classroom projector by seeking out a businessman who could help.
After resolving to replace an old projector in a fifth-grade classroom, Schwiezer spoke with Patrick Malone of NEC Display Solutions during a business dinner.
They discussed brightness and lumens, and Malone was impressed enough with Schwiezer that he donated one of his company’s projectors to his classroom.
Schwiezer participated in the academy’s International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, which develops students’ business and presentation skills.
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