Last year, Seminole gained around $80,000 due to certifications students earned in Adobe and Microsoft programs. These certificates are offered to all students taking Digital Design 1-4, Web Design 1-4, Intro to IT, Business Software Apps, Journalism, Yearbook, TV Production, and Newspaper, provided they pass the corresponding exams. These classes allow students to earn certifications for the Adobe programs InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, DreamWeaver, Flash, and Premiere, as well as the Microsoft programs Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Because of these programs, 190 students received Adobe certifications, while only 30 received the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS Specialist) certificate. The reason why there were fewer students certified for the MOS is that to earn it, one needs to pass the exam for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, as opposed to Adobe certificates which only require one test per program. These certifications document a student’s knowledge of the program, often making them more desirable to employers.

“It’s huge. It really puts [the students] at an advantage to the competition. The employers know that they had to pass a rigorous course to get the certification,” says yearbook sponsor Mrs. Veronica Sarmiento, one of the three teachers of Adobe and MOS certifying courses. “Also, it gives them a different pay rate, because you have an actual certificate from Adobe saying you know Photoshop.”

The certificates for Adobe are Adobe Certified Associate (ACA), which is significant because they signify that Adobe itself says students passed a test that shows that they truly understand in depth what the program does.

Mr. Kevin Kelley, another Adobe certifying teacher, says, “These classes fall under Career in Technological Education (CTE) courses, and [they] are geared towards skill sets needed in the business community. Most of these kids should be able to get 10 to 15 dollar per hour jobs depending on the number of certifications they receive.”

These certifications aren’t just something earned for school; they are the same that people in the labor force would take and show to employers. Students who get these certifications will already have a step up applying for jobs, as their certificates hold more weight than someone claiming knowledge of the program without any proof.

Certifications occur throughout the year. Aspiring students can apply for one of the offering courses at the end of the current school year.