There is no doubt computers have become an integral part of the common workplace and will likely continue to grow in importance. Any of the finalists in the Warren County Middle School’s Keyboarding Olympics would be likely prospects for employers looking to fill positions for quick and efficient typists.
This year marks the third year for WCMS to hold this competition, and it is a competition that students prep for the entire year. The event is put on by computer teacher Susan Barrett alongside STEM teachers Stephanie Hobbs and Sarah Lokey. The educator trio certainly understand that computer science skills are paramount for future success, and do all they can to ensure the students are educated properly.
Top competitors include:
Sixth Grade: First place Jazmine Shore, second place Kenzie Weddington and third place Abi McBride.
Seventh Grade: First place Emily Banaszak, second place Tilaya McMahon and third place Khloe Bouldin.
Eighth Grade: First place Maya Cordero, second place Addison Steakley and third place Amberley Soto.
The overall winner for this year was Cordero, claiming best of the best for the second year in a row. She was presented, once more, with the Golden Keyboard and added another placard to the title. Cordero attributes much of her success to playing FPS video games in her spare time.
“I didn’t get much of a chance to practice this year,” the champion stated, “but I type so fast because I play a lot of video games.” Cordero has been noticed for never looking at the keyboard when she types, showing off her skills in keyboard memorization.
Lokey, Hobbs and Barrett started the Keyboarding Olympics at the middle school in 2021. “We noticed there was some competition going on in the classroom,” stated Barrett. “We have them do timed tests where we measure their speed and accuracy. We came up with the idea because we didn’t see a reason not to hold a contest. There are contests in sports so we thought we would apply it to keyboarding.”
Barrett noted that they start at the beginning of the year to prep the students and use the Golden Keyboard to incentivize participation. “This is our third year and it has been very successful,” stated Barrett. “The kids get pretty competitive and we are really proud of them. Obviously in today’s society this is a skill they are going to need for every job they’ll ever have. We tell them that. We are very, very proud of them and hope that the contest continues for many years!”
