Mitchell College of Business Student Claims Title of Alabama State Champion
Posted on February 10, 2026
Spreadsheets don’t usually come with trophies, but Excel mastery has earned Clayton Howell, a supply chain and logistics management major in the Mitchell College of Business, the title of Alabama State Champion.
While Excel is a source of office frustration for many, Howell was “raised on it.” He began learning about rows, columns and formulas as early as elementary school — and simply never stopped.
By the time he came to the University of South Alabama, Howell was fluent and ready to delve deeper in a class taught by Dr. Misty Sabol, Data Analytics 3. There, he took the Microsoft Office Specialist certification exam; a few weeks later, an email landed in his inbox: “Your exceptional score has earned you the title of Alabama State Champion in Microsoft Excel.”
“I didn’t even know that existed,” he said with a smile, adding, “I wouldn’t even say I particularly enjoy Excel, I just happen to be good at it. I’m pattern-oriented, so I've always had a pretty good memory for this sort of stuff.”
Of course, it also helps that Howell has had plenty of practice.
“Excel is like learning a language. To be good at it, you have to immerse yourself in it,” said Howell, a 2025-26 Mitchell Ambassador. “That’s what my data analytics classes helped me do: immerse myself in it every day, looking at different functions and problems to deal with it.”
As Alabama State Champion, Howell was invited to represent the state at Certiport's 2026 MOS U.S. National Championship, held in Nashville this June and sponsored by none other than Microsoft.
Having already committed to a summer internship, Howell won’t be able to attend — but the title of Alabama State Excel Champion will stay hard-coded into his legacy.
“Ultimately, I want to work in the space industry doing supply chain logistics. Once I’ve done that for a while, I would like to move into politics, maybe as an aerospace adviser,” he said. “My goal is to find a place where I can leave an impact.”
