Return to Headlines

Perfection earns Diman student a trip to Florida

costa Diman freshman Business Technology student Ivan Costa may not be perfect, but he is capable of perfection.

Costa earned a spot in the Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint National Competition when he notched a perfect score in the national certification test. He will travel next week to Orlando, FL to compete in the MOS National Championship on June 18-20.

When Business Technology instructor Karl Cabucio told the students that Diman had yet to notch a perfect score on the PowerPoint exam, Costa took it as a challenge. “I heard Mr. Cabucio say that nobody has ever received a perfect score before, it made me want to get it and be the first person to do it. It ended up working,” Costa enthused.

As excited as he is about competing, Costa may be even more excited about going to Florida, seeing as he’s never been to any US states besides Massachusetts and Rhode Island (he has been to Portugal). “I’m most excited to get out of the state,” grinned Costa, “All I hear about Florida is how beautiful it is, how it’s a paradise.“

In Florida, Costa will compete with 87 other students from 21 states, ranging in age from 14-20. “I’m really looking forward to the competition because I want to win it,” said Costa. “I keep hearing about how Diman and some school in Florida dominate at SkillsUSA, and I want to give Diman an edge.”

Costa, a first-generation American, has another motivation. “I want to win it to make my parents proud,” he said.

No matter what happens, he’s already made Diman proud. “We are very pleased and excited for Ivan,” said Cabucio. “He and his classmates have proven to be hardworking, conscientious, and everything that we expect of a Diman Business Technology Student.”

Diman is picking up the tab for Costa and his father to make the trip. “It was an easy decision for the administration,” said Assistant Superintendant/Principal Kyle Alves. “Ivan is the type of student we want to hold up as an example of what Diman students can achieve when they really work at their skills.”

Despite his hard work, Costa knows the competition will be fierce. “I’m nervous because if all those folks are competing in at this level, it shows they’re good,” said Costa. “It’s going to be a challenge.”

Costa might be able to fall back on past experience during the competition: he placed 7th in the Massachusetts Scripps National Spelling Bee in 5th grade.

Should he excel at the National Championship, he will move onto the World Championship in Dallas, Texas in August.

Contact:
Nathan Byrnes, Media Services Coordinator
nbyrnes@dimanregional.org
508-678-2891 x1870