THINK TANK Tutor & Team Bring Home Silver from Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge (MECC)
Desirae during MECC competition
Today’s special feature spotlights one of THINK TANK’s very own tutors, Desirae Hoaglin, for her recent big feat at the Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge (MECC) with her two teammates, Jackson Weber and Tess Patton.
Desirae is a senior, majoring in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Business Economics. She is currently a Level 3 Business Tutor at THINK TANK. She is expecting to graduate in May from the Eller College of Management.
We sat down with Desirae to get the scoop on the big MECC win - 2nd place in the team competition! - as well as what being part of this organization has brought into her life.
ICYMI: Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge (MECC) is a competition consisting of college level problem-solving puzzles using Excel, based on the professional competition Microsoft Excel World Championship (MEWC). MECC was founded by David Brown, associate professor of Finance at Eller. It is free for students to sign up!
Desirae received an email about participating in MECC three years ago and she thought: “Sure, why not!”
So we asked: how would you explain MECC to someone who’s never heard of it? She explained: “MECC is basically a competition to gamify learning Excel for students, [where] each case gets more complicated, but the idea is you’re trying to build a model in Excel that solves problems for you.” Desirae’s take, as she shared with a laugh, “it’s spreadsheets on steroids.”
Desirae’s face lit up with joy and excitement as she talked about the past year of prepping, competing, and coming in 2nd in the MECC earlier this month. Her experience overall was fulfilling, fun, and a chance for her to build problem-solving skills alone and on a team. “One of the coolest skills is learning how to build something in Excel so that people don’t have to ask how it works.” On working with Jack and Tess, with whom she’s been preparing and practicing for the competition for this whole year: “They’re both phenomenal — really smart — and I love working with them.”
Although graduation is nearing for Desirae, that doesn’t equate to the end of Excel Esports for her. Through MECC she has built friendships with students across the globe, and the annual competition has been her chance to meet up with them. When asked about competing professionally, she explained about these connections, and she would want to compete in the future and “do it for the community, and it's a lot of fun from a learning perspective.”
We are so excited for Desirae and her team for their win and for representing the U of A at MECC!
Interested in seeing inside the competition? Take a look at the Finals Live-Stream Recording here! (Peek at 59:416 for the Desirae and team receiving their award and throwing up the WC hand sign!)