Radnor Middle Schooler to Compete in State-Level National Geographic Bee

Arnav Jagasia, an eighth-grader at Radnor Middle School, will participate in the state-level competition of the National Geographic Bee after winning the school’s 2012 National Geographic Bee on Friday, Jan. 13.

It is the third straight year Jagasia has won the RMS competition. More than 860 students participated. Last year, Jagasia placed fifth in the state competition. This year’s state competition will take place March 30 at Pennsylvania State University.

The National Geographic Bee occurs in three stages, beginning at the school level. Schools that register for the Bee receive materials to hold their competitions. Each school winner takes a written test and the top hundred scorers in each state and territory compete at the state level. The winner of each state Bee proceeds to the national competition. This year’s national bee is May 22-24 in Washington, D.C.

The 55 state and territory winners meet at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., for the national competition. The number of contestants is narrowed to ten finalists, who compete for a $25,000 college scholarship. The second- and third-place winners receive $15,000 and $10,000 scholarships, respectively. Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek moderates the final competition.