John “Jack” Dumoulin is your typical all-American boy. Blonde hair, Boy Scout, and baseball lover. After becoming the 2017 MOS World Champion, Jack quickly gained attention from various news outlets around the country. His interview on YouTube has been viewed over 14,000 times. He’s become the MOS World Championship golden boy, but his story goes much deeper. Learn more about this MOS Champion in his interview below:
Certiport: Thanks so much for sitting down with us, Jack!
Jack: No problem! I’m happy to share my experiences.
Certiport: Let’s set the stage for everyone. How did you first get started with the Excel program? Was it an assignment in school?
Jack: Tracking baseball statistics in middle school is how I first got into Excel. I wanted to track them using my own methods instead of relying on applications that already had them pre-made. After that, I decided to start using Excel for financial data or just any data in general in high school to earn my certification.
Certiport: Speaking of high school, tell us where you are in school and where you work right now.
Jack: I am a senior at Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, Virginia. I currently work as a team leader at Chick-fil-a, but I am in the process of starting my own side business as a contractor.
Certiport: That’s fantastic! What type of business are you looking to start?
Jack: What I want to do is start a business where I can build spreadsheets, enhanced PowerPoint presentations, and databases for companies. Analyzing data for local companies would be one of the services and I also would provide tutoring services for people wanting certifications or who just want to learn how to use Microsoft Office programs. I have already started tutoring students in my school as a volunteer service until I can get my small company up and running.
Certiport: Amazing! What made you decide to start a business?
Jack: I want to major in business, and minor in a computer/IT field in college, so starting something small could give some experience. I also have great skills that I learned from getting certified and don’t want those skills to go to waste. I want to use my knowledge now instead of waiting to use it in the future. Ultimately, I want to help inspire other students and show that it doesn’t matter who you are, you can start and accomplish great things.
Certiport: Outside of helping you decide to start your own business, how else has certification empowered you?
Jack: Certification and winning the World Championship has helped me significantly when applying for colleges. I have been contacted by people locally and through social media to do free-lance work as well.
Certiport: Has participating in the MOS World Championship influenced any other aspects of your life?
Jack: After winning the MOS World Championship, I was able to speak in front of the U.S. Congress! I represented Prince William county as part of a student panel to give perspective on the importance of technology in our education. I shared with Congress my story of winning the World Championship and how funding for technology in education can help produce more successful students in the U.S. It was great to be able to share my perspective on how I use technology in my school and how getting certified has been so valuable to me.
I was also given an award by the Virginia Department of Education and am now a beta-student, testing a course on Office fundamentals in Word, Excel, and Outlook. It’s so exciting to be able to help the next generation of students and Office users have access to technology to give them similar opportunities to the ones I had.
Overall though, I would say that earning my certifications and winning the World title has sparked my interest to inspire students around the world. I hope when students hear my story, they want to strive for excellence, work to their full potential, apply technology to their education, and get certified!
Certiport: Obviously the competition was a great experience for you. What was one of your favorite memories from competing?
Jack: A fun memory from the competition was getting beat in ping-pong by the Vietnam team. Those guys are really good! Plus, I got to see my favorite team, the Dodgers, play a game in Los Angeles. And of course, all the fun perks of being a World Champion were awesome.
Certiport: We loved seeing you and the other students from around the world get to know each other. One last question for you. What advice would you give to students just getting started with technology, or just getting involved with the MOS Championship program?
Jack: I would tell them that even if learning these programs becomes challenging or you feel you are not suited for technology, just start by learning one skill. Focus on one thing and learn how to do it, then learn another. Learning one thing can help open so many doors. This especially applies to those intimidated by technology, especially Excel.
Another piece of advice is to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. There are so many people who are not privileged enough to have the opportunity to use technology, or to become certified. Appreciate your ability to get certified and learn, and strive for your full potential. There are people out there in the world who would love to be in your shoes. Think of them when you feel like giving up on learning. You never know, it may just help motivate you to change the world someday.
Interested in learning more about the MOS US National Championship? Learn more at www.moschampionship.com.