A West Hollow Middle School student is headed for the National Geographic Bee championship in May after winning the New York State title.
Nicholas Sarris, an 8th grader, competed in early April against 98 other students in the state championship. He’ll participate in the national contest in Washington, D.C., from May 20-23.
The National Geographic Bee is an annual competition organized by the National Geographic Society, designed to inspire and reward students’ curiosity about the world. Students in grades four through eight from 10,000 schools across the United States will compete in the 2018 National Geographic Bee for a chance to win college scholarships and the glory of being the National Geographic Bee champion.
Nicholas became state champion on a question regarding the longest ice-bridge in the world. The answer: Estonia. When asked how he prepared to answer questions that could be on such a broad range of geographical topics, Sarris said, “I like to watch videos and read books to learn about places I’ve never been to.”
“We are so proud to have a student from our district become state champion for the first time, and be headed to the national championship to represent New York State,” said Christina Papachristou, bee coordinator for the National Geographic Bee competition at West Hollow Middle School. “This contest really helps spark student interest in the subject, and increases public awareness about geography.”
“I’m so happy to have made it this far,” Nicholas said. “Even if I don’t win nationals, I am sure I will have a great time!”