Written by Brad Seehausen
Marketing and Communications Intern, Lacy School of Business ’26
Becoming the state champion of anything doesn’t just fall into someone’s lap – but for Seth Raymond, becoming the Indiana State Champion in Microsoft Excel wasn’t the goal. Instead, it
was the byproduct of hours of hard work spent watching tutorials and taking practice exams in pursuit of his Excel certification. As a result, Seth ended up getting slightly more than he bargained for.
“I wasn’t trying to be the state champion in Excel,” said the senior finance and business technology & analytics double major, “A lot of workforces use Excel, so I was just hoping to
better myself in different aspects that I would be getting in the workplace.”
Entering the Lacy School of Business as a finance major, Seth was soon exposed to the world of Business Technology & Analytics, where he found a niche working with software applicable to real-world settings. In addition to his natural curiosity, Seth accredits much of his success to his
professors, especially Jason Davidson, an assistant professor of management information systems at LSB, as well as Seth’s academic advisor. “Professor Davidson recommended that we
take our [Excel] certifications and I just happened to score high enough to where it ended up qualifying for state champion,” he added.
However, Seth didn’t just score “high enough” to qualify for state champion, he scored a perfect 1000/1000 on his certification, bringing home Butler University’s second Microsoft Excel State Championship within the last three years.
But how does one become so well-versed in Microsoft Excel? Seth places an emphasis on doing the dirty work, but to have fun at the same time. “Just get in there and get reps in,” the senior commented. “Watching practice videos can be very helpful, but also just getting in the program itself and messing around with all of the cool different things that you can do.” He believes people shouldn’t learn Excel with the goal of winning competitions, but rather with a genuine desire to build knowledge and become familiar with the software.
In addition to being Excel State Champ, the Fishers native is involved in numerous clubs and organizations on campus, having served as Vice President of his fraternity, Sigma Nu as a sophomore, as well as a part of the Management Information Systems and Technology Association. As a self-proclaimed sports fan, Seth has also participated in the Final Four Analytics Challenge, in which he competed to present a cohesive visualization of key data supplemented by NCAA Tournament. His goal? To utilize these experiences and certifications as he pursues a career in financial planning and data analytics.
The desire to compete and excel academically isn’t the only driving factor for Seth; he’s also driven by a passion for sharing his knowledge with others who are interested in strengthening their technical skills in the workplace.
Seth’s Excel journey doesn’t end at the state level. His next stop is Nashville, Tennessee, where he will compete at the Microsoft Excel National Championship, representing Indiana and Butler on the national stage, accompanied by Professor Jason Davidson in June. Professor Davidson is confident in Seth, who commented, “I’ve had the privilege of watching him grow over the past four years. His dedication and hard work earned him the top spot in the state, and I have no doubt he will carry the Butler Way with him to the national championship in Nashville this summer.”
Although there are some nerves surrounding the competition, Seth is all smiles. “Yeah, it’s nerve-wracking, but I’m honored to be able to have this opportunity and attempt to place high,” he gleefully shared, “I’m definitely excited to compete.”
