Anacortes High School graduate Ashley Rice (right) received an awesome 18th birthday surprise Thursday morning. She learned of a $1,000 college scholarship from CCI Learning Solutions, a Microsoft vendor that works with school districts on the Microsoft IT Academy. AHS teacher Matt Wallis (left), who gave Rice the news, was recently recognized by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn as an outstanding CTE educator for his efforts with the Microsoft IT Academy and student certifications. This  scholarship will help Rice attend Skagit Valley College in the fall, pursuing a future in photography and digital design. She was selected due to her work ethic in class and leadership qualities that pushed other students to excel in these computer applications courses. Rice earned Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook during the spring 2012 semester. Her work also stood out in AHS CTE courses in web design, marketing, and photography. AHS is one of 15 schools in the state recognized by CCI learning for having the highest percentage of certifications per school population in the 2011-12 school year.