2014 National Geographic Bee - National Geographic Society Press

National Finalists:
2014
National Geographic Bee
May 19-21
Washington, D.C.
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
Christian Gonzalez
is a 14-year-old 8th
grader from Huntsville,
representing Huntsville
Area Home Educators.
His interests include
computer programming,
learning Japanese and
reading about exotic
lands. The best place he’s
been to is Costa Rica,
where he stood on the
Continental Divide and
climbed Arenal Volcano.
Jonathan Harver is a
13-year-old 7th grader
at Kodiak Middle School
in Kodiak. He enjoys
outdoor activities like
fishing, hunting and
shooting, and sports,
especially wrestling,
cross-country and
swimming. Among those
he admires is Thomas
Jefferson for his
devotion to academics
and his discoveries.
Ari Mehta is a 12-yearold 6th grader at Desert
Cove Elementary School
in Phoenix. His interest
in geography was
stimulated by his dad,
who taught him all the
state capitals when he
was 3. He likes playing
basketball and tennis.
The coolest place he’s
visited is Italy, where he
saw most of the major
tourist attractions.
Christian Boekhout is
a 13-year-old 8th grader
at Hot Springs Middle
School in Hot Springs,
southwest of Little
Rock. He represented
Arkansas at the 2011,
2012 and 2013 National
Geographic Bees. He is
first chair All Region alto
saxophone and a Quiz
Bowl team member. He
admires Bill Clinton,
who attended his school.
ATLANTIC TERRITORIES
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
Jael King is a 12-yearold 6th grader at Alfredo
Andrews Elementary
School in Kingshill, St.
Croix, Virgin Islands. He
won the Virgin Islands
History Quiz Bowl. He
enjoys reading and
playing educational
games. He hopes to have
a farm and produce
fruits and vegetables.
The best place he has
been to is Alaska.
Tuvya BergsonMichelson is a
13-year-old 7th grader
at The Nueva School
in Hillsborough, near
San Francisco. He
represented California
at the 2011 and 2013
National Geographic
Bees. He loves geography
for the lens it provides
on the world. He is vice
president of his school’s
student council.
Pranit Nanda is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at Aurora Quest K-8
School in Aurora, east of
Denver. He represented
Colorado at the 2012
and 2013 National
Geographic Bees. He’s a
four-time winner of the
President’s Award for
Academic Excellence.
He plays the violin and
enjoys reading almanacs
and atlases.
John Phipps is a
12-year-old 6th grader at
Middlesex Middle School
in Darien, northeast
of Stamford. He has
been to 21 countries
including China, where
he met the farmer who
discovered the first
Terra Cotta Warrior. He
enjoys looking at maps,
studying geography and
history, learning Russian
and playing tennis.
DELAWARE
DEPT. OF DEFENSE
DIST. OF COLUMBIA
FLORIDA
Sohan Shah is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at The Independence
School in Newark,
near Wilmington. He’s
captain of his Quiz Bowl
team, and this year he
placed second in the
regional History Bowl.
He has traveled to four
continents and about
20 countries. He enjoys
basketball, tennis, crew
and swimming.
Patrick Lewallen is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at Ryukyu Middle
School in Okinawa,
Japan. He represented
Department of Defense
Dependents Schools
at the 2013 National
Geographic Bee. He
is a Life Scout and a
member of the National
Junior Honor Society.
He enjoys playing soccer
and baseball.
Quentin Powers is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at St. Anselm’s Abbey
School. He is a first
class Boy Scout and
has completed 15 merit
badges toward Eagle
Scout. He likes going to
Washington Nationals
and Washington Wizards
games and watching
college football on TV.
He hopes to visit the
South Pacific islands.
Ameya Mujumdar is an
11-year-old 5th grader
at Turner Elementary
School in Tampa. He
plays chess and piano
and enjoys video games,
especially Minecraft.
The best place he has
been to is Agra, where
he saw the Taj Mahal.
He hopes to visit
Antarctica, as he would
like to be in the middle
of penguins.
GEORGIA
HAWAII
IDAHO
ILLINOIS
Ansel Ahabue is a
13-year-old 8th grader
at Trickum Middle
School in Lilburn, near
Atlanta. His Academic
Team will be taking part
in the National Academic
Championship later this
month. His interests
include geography,
social studies, piano
and drawing. He’d like
to visit his parents’
homeland, Nigeria.
Mika Ishii is a 12-yearold 6th grader at
Kaimuki Middle School
in Honolulu. She
represented Hawaii
at the 2012 National
Geographic Bee. She
plays the violin in the
Hawaii Youth Symphony
and is concertmistress
of her school orchestra.
She also loves playing
the ukulele. She
admires her teachers.
Amrit Singh is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at Grangeville Middle
School in Grangeville,
north central Idaho.
He represented Idaho
at the 2013 National
Geographic Bee. He
likes playing basketball,
weightlifting, running
track and throwing shot
put and discus. Among
those he admires are his
grandparents.
Mantra Dave is an
11-year-old 6th grader
at Chiddix Junior High
School in Normal,
northeast of Springfield.
He enjoys reading and
playing tennis and
cricket. If he could be
anyone in the world, he’d
be UN Secretary-General
so he could make the
world healthier and
safer. He’d like to visit
Potala Palace, Tibet.
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
Sean Ives is a 14-yearold 8th grader at Trinity
Lutheran School in
Crown Point, south of
Gary. He represented
Indiana at the 2013
National Geographic Bee.
He likes board games,
reading, basketball and
football. He became
interested in geography
when he received a globe
in 1st grade. His dad is
his role model.
Shirlin Kingston is an
11-year-old 5th grader
from Ames, representing
Ames Area Homeschool.
She has won numerous
trophies for chess
tournaments, awards
for math and science
contests and badges for
scripture memorization.
She enjoys arts and
crafts and playing the
piano and violin. She’d
love to visit Rome.
Chinmay Patil is
a 12-year-old 6th
grader at California
Trail Middle School in
Olathe. He likes reading
and playing baseball
and computer games.
He hopes to become a
social studies teacher.
He admires Martin
Luther King and Rosa
Parks, because they
showed one person can
change the world.
Nikhil Krishna is a
13-year-old 8th grader
at Corbin Middle
School in Corbin,
southeastern Kentucky.
He represented the state
at the 2012 National
Geographic Bee. The
coolest place he has
visited is Antarctica,
where he saw penguins,
seals and glaciers. He
enjoys playing tennis,
reading and eating.
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
Benjamin Link is
a 14-year-old 8th
grader at St. Andrew’s
Episcopal School in New
Orleans. He’s made the
honor roll in all four
years of middle school.
He loves to collect coins,
play soccer and tennis,
and unicycle. Among
those he admires is
President Obama. He’d
like to visit China’s
Terra Cotta Warriors.
Vincent Falardeau is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at Saco Middle School
in Saco, near Portland.
He plays the viola in
several orchestras and
enjoys reading and
hiking. The best place
he’s been is Brittany,
France, where he has
relatives. He’d like a job
involving travel, such as
journalist, Peace Corps
volunteer or explorer.
Abhinav Karthikeyan
is an 11-year-old 5th
grader at Clearspring
Elementary School
in Damascus, near
Washington, D.C. He
represented Maryland
at the 2013 National
Geographic Bee. He
takes part in chess
tournaments and likes
to collect state quarters.
He hopes to become a
meteorologist.
Nicholas Rommel is a
12-year-old 7th grader
at Diamond Middle
School in Lexington,
northwest of Boston.
He is fluent in Russian
and German. He enjoys
hiking and biking. He
has hiked to the top
of Mount Greylock,
Massachusetts’ highest
point, and last summer
he biked 27 miles on the
Cape Cod Bikeway.
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
Lucas Eggers is an
11-year-old 6th grader
from Rochester,
representing Hennepin
County Homeschoolers.
He earned the top score
in the National History
Bee for Minnesota
and will be competing
at nationals in June.
Interests are Chinese,
French, piano and
math. He’d like to be a
cartographer or explorer.
Victoria Gong is a
13-year-old 7th grader
at St. Aloysius School
in Vicksburg, west of
Jackson. She plays the
piano and has received
several first-place state
awards. She enjoys
reading, drawing and
writing fictional stories.
What she likes about
geography is the shapes
of the countries, which
she finds artistic.
Evan Hensel is a
13-year-old 8th grader
at Wentzville Middle
School in Wentzville,
northwest of St. Louis.
In his free time, he
enjoys reading and
playing games. The best
place he’s visited is New
York City, and he’d like
to go to Rio de Janeiro
to see the 2014 World
Cup and the 2016
Summer Olympics.
Philip Huang is a 13-yearold 8th grader from South
Lyon, near Ann Arbor,
representing Washtenaw
County Home Educators.
He represented Michigan
at the 2012 National
Geographic Bee. He likes
geography as it shows
how people and places
have interconnected
throughout history. He
enjoys playing basketball
with his dad.
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Jesse Zhang is a
14-year-old 8th grader at
Target Range School in
Missoula. What he likes
best about geography
is finding out how and
why the world is shaped
as it is and how people
inteact with each other
and the environment. He
likes basketball, travel
and video games. He has
visited China, his favorite
destination, eight times.
Brendan Pennington
is an 11-year-old 5th
grader at Prairie Lane
Elementary School in
Omaha. His Pinewood
Derby car for Boy Scouts
won Best in Show in
2014 and 2013, and he’s
won many awards in
piano competitions. He
loves looking at cruise
ships and itineraries and
will be going on his third
cruise in October.
Benjamin Hand is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at Hyde Park Middle
School in Las Vegas.
His team has won the
Nevada Science Bowl
twice. In his free time,
he loves exploring the
Internet and learning
more about the world
through geography. He
admires his friends and
teachers for being good
role models.
Kevin Owens is a
13-year-old 7th grader
at Ross A. Lurgio Middle
School in Bedford, a
suburb of Manchester.
He plays soccer on a
travel team that has
won its New England
league championship
for two years. He also
enjoys freestyle skiing,
running and travel. He’d
love to go to the Amazon
rain forest.
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
NORTH CAROLINA
Charlie Mills is a
13-year-old 7th grader
at Trinity Christian
School in Montville.
He likes taking part
in math competitions
and Bible Bees. He’s
memorized the periodic
table and has a strong
interest in isotopes and
molecular sciences. He
would like to become
a land surveyor of
uncharted areas.
Gabriel Cuneo is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at Shepherd Lutheran
School in Albuquerque.
He represented New
Mexico at the 2012
National Geographic
Bee. He competes in
state swim meets and has
placed in the top three in
several events. He also
enjoys bike riding. What
he likes about geography
is looking at maps.
Gabe Straus is a
14-year-old 8th grader at
Collegiate School in New
York. He represented
New York at the 2013
National Geographic Bee.
He plays the double bass
in the school orchestra
and has performed at
Carnegie Hall. He likes
baking novelty cakes
and cookies and enjoys
rock climbing, hiking
and listening to music.
Sravya Kuchibhotla
is a 13-year-old 7th
grader at Davis Drive
Middle School in Cary.
She takes part in chess
tournaments and won a
state championship this
year. She also enjoys
dancing, painting, biking
and playing basketball.
The best place she’s
been to is the Bahamas;
she’d like to visit the
Amazon rain forest.
NORTH DAKOTA
Erik Johnson is
a 15-year-old 8th
grader from Bismarck,
representing BismarckMandan Home
Educators. He enjoys
reading, running and
playing games, especially
those that involve history
and geography. He’d like
to go into the Foreign
Service or perhaps be a
world traveler. He’d love
to go to Japan.
OHIO
Kyle Yu is a 13-yearold 8th grader at Lee
Burneson Middle
School in Westlake, a
suburb of Cleveland.
He represented Ohio
at the 2013 National
Geographic Bee. He
plays the clarinet
and is on his school’s
Academic Challenge
team. He enjoys
swimming, biking and
studying geography.
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
Aniket Dehadrai is a
13-year-old 8th grader
at Whittier Middle
School in Norman, near
Oklahoma City. He
represented Oklahoma
at Mathcounts nationals
in Florida this month.
He was MVP of his
school team that ranked
second in the State
Academic Bowl. If he
could be anyone else, it
would be Harry Potter.
Tor Parsons is a
12-year-old 7th grader at
Roosevelt Middle School
in Eugene. His love of
trains sparked his interest
in geography. As early
as kindergarten, he’d
scan world maps looking
for train tracks. He and
his dad go “railfanning”
(train watching) at
various scenic spots. He
hopes to take a train trip
across Canada.
PACIFIC TERRITORIES
PENNSYLVANIA
RHODE ISLAND
SOUTH CAROLINA
Alex Eagan is an
11-year-old 6th grader at
Pacific Horizons School
in Pago Pago, American
Samoa. What he likes
best about geography
is learning where funny
place-name spellings
and funny foods come
from. The best place
he’s been to is Venice,
Italy. He hopes to go to
Antarctica, as he loves
the cold and snow.
Ramya Muthukrishnan
is a 14-year-old 8th
grader at E. N. Peirce
Middle School in West
Chester. Her favorite
part of geography is
learning about food
around the world. She
plays the violin in several
orchestras and last year
was concertmistress of a
district-level orchestra.
She plans to become a
doctor. She likes to read.
Max Levine is a 14-yearold 8th grader at Wheeler
School in Providence. He
represented Rhode Island
at the 2012 National
Geographic Bee. An avid
downhill skier, he also
enjoys playing tennis,
playing the violin and
learning foreign languages
including Mandarin.
If he could be anyone
else, it would be U.S.
ambassador to Israel.
Krish Patel is a 14-yearold 8th grader at
Pinewood Preparatory
School in Summerville,
northwest of Charleston.
He represented South
Carolina at the 2011,
2012 and 2013 National
Geographic Bees. He’s
captain of his Quiz Bowl
team that has won two
state championships.
He loves playing and
watching sports.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Bridger Gordon is a
13-year-old 8th grader at
Sturgis Williams Middle
School in Sturgis. He is
active in 4-H, and his
community service efforts
last year in promoting
recycling earned him
the Prudential Spirit
of Community Award.
He may become an
international lawyer or
Foreign Service Officer.
He’s visited 24 states.
TENNESSEE
Christopher Damon
is a 13-year-old 8th
grader at Meigs Middle
Magnet School in
Nashville. He plays six
instruments and also
writes and arranges
music. He enjoys
listening to rock,
classical and jazz. He’d
like to travel all the
interstates from end to
end and hopes to one
day travel the globe.
TEXAS
UTAH
Benjamin Benjadol is a
13-year-old 7th grader
at Central Junior High
School in Euless, a
suburb of Fort Worth.
He runs a “virtual
airline” organization for
amateur pilots on flight
simulation games. He
would love to become
a pilot, a surgeon or
a dentist. He has won
top awards in piano
competitions.
Gauri Garg is a 13-yearold 7th grader at Bear
River Charter School
in Logan. She has won
12 gold medals in iceskating competitions
and also enjoys
swimming, skiing and
reading geography.
She hopes to become
a journalist and would
like to run for U.S.
president. She’d love to
travel to every country.
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
Nicholas Norton is a
14-year-old 8th grader
at Essex Middle School
in Essex Junction, east
of Burlington. He plays
baseball and soccer
competitively and enjoys
many other sports. What
he likes about geography
is that it makes him feel
connected to the rest of
the world. If he could
be anyone else, it’d be
Secretary of Education.
Akhil Rekulapelli is a
13-year-old 8th grader
at Stone Hill Middle
School in Ashburn,
near Washington, D.C.
He represented Virginia
at the 2013 National
Geographic Bee. He
plays the clarinet in his
school’s top band and is
a first degree black belt
in tae kwon do. He hopes
to work for Doctors
Without Borders.
Andrew Ma is a
13-year-old 8th grader
at Evergreen School in
Shoreline, near Seattle.
A prize-winning pianist,
he won the Cascade
Symphony’s Concerto
Competition in 2013
and debuted with the
Cascade Symphony. Of
the many places he’s
visited, Washington,
D.C., is one of the best.
He’d like to see Sardinia.
Andrew Christy is
a 13-year-old 8th
grader at St. Francis
Central Catholic School
in Morgantown. He
represented West Virginia
at the 2012 and 2013
National Geographic Bees.
He likes playing soccer
and basketball, running
and camping. He hopes
to be an architect and
would also like to visit all
seven continents.
WISCONSIN
WYOMING
Asha Jain is a 14-yearold 8th grader at
Minocqua-HazelhurstLake Tomahawk
Elementary School in
Minocqua, northwestern
Wisconsin. She
represented Wisconsin
at the 2013 National
Geographic Bee. She
participated in the 2013
World Championship
geography contest in
St. Petersburg, Russia.
Degory Day is an
11-year-old 5th grader
at Aspen Elementary
School in Evanston,
southwest Wyoming.
He has won many 4-H
awards. He lives on a
ranch and raised and
showed a blue-ribbon
pig at a fair. His interests
include Boy Scouts,
wrestling, soccer, ranch
work, horseback riding
and gold panning.