Indian-American kids continued their winning streak in the National Geographic Bee by securing all three top spots in this year’s competition May 13. New Jersey teen Karan Menon won first place by correctly identifying the Congo River as the site of the Grand Inga Dam. Menon, 14, defeated 54 students from grades fourth to eight, to clinch the title, along with a $50,000 scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and a trip to the Galápagos Islands aboard the Lindblad ship National Geographic Endeavour.
Shriya Yarlagadda of Grand Blanc, Michigan, came in second, while Sojas Wagle, an eighth-grader from Springdale, Arkansas, took third place. Both Yarlagadda and Wagle won a $25,000 and $10,000 scholarship respectively.
Seven other finalists, who each won $500, were Kapil Nathan, a 10-year-old fifth grader from Birmingham, Alabama; Abhinav Karthikeyan, a 12-year-old sixth grader from Maryland; Shreyas Varathan, a 14-year-old eighth grader from Minnesota; Tejas Badgujar, a 13-year-old eighth grader from Pennsylvania; Lucy Chae, a 13-year-old seventh grader from Massachusetts; Nicholas Monahan, a 12-year-old sixth grader from Idaho; and Patrick Taylor, a 12-year-old seventh grader from Iowa.
More than 4 million students in over 11,000 schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US Atlantic and Pacific territories and Department of Defense Dependents Schools took part in the National Geographic Bee this year.
Indian-American students have won the championship for the past three consecutive years – Akhil Rekulapelli of Dulles, Virginia won the Bee last year, while Sathwik Karnik of Plainville, Massachusetts, was the 2013 champion and Rahul Nagvekar of Sugar Land, Texas won the Bee in 2012.
National Geographic started the Bee in 1989 to improve geographic literacy among young people. Michael Jordan majored in geography and Mother Theresa taught it, the organizers noted. Alex Trebek served as the host for the first 25 years.
Top of the World
“I’m on top of the world right now,” Menon, an eighth grader at the John Adams Middle School in Edison, New Jersey, said, after winning the competition. Adding that the questions were “really challenging,” Menon said he’d studied for some, but had to take a risk with some. “I just had to go with my gut and say an answer,” he said. He described the win as the “high point” of his life.
Menon went to the finals after winning the New Jersey State National Geographic State Bee held March 27 at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. Menon’s winning question: “Sochi, the city that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, is located on the shores of which body of water?” which he answered correctly with the Black Sea.
Cliff Hanger
This year’s competition, moderated by television journalist Soledad O’Brien was a cliff-hanger, with Yarlagadda leading for most of the competition. However, Menon pulled ahead by one point after explaining why Sapporo, Japan, site of the 1972 Winter Olympics, would be a better location for a ski resort than Beijing or Darjeeling, India.
Menon however would have been eliminated in fourth place, if it hadn’t been for his presence of mind and his solid knowledge of geography. The correct answer to the question the Mesabi Range contains a large deposit of what metal-bearing mineral, was iron ore. But Karan answered Taconite, a form of iron ore. After arguing that his answer was right, the judges deliberated and after five minutes gave Menon credit for the right answer. After which there was no stopping him.
Global Citizen
Maps always fascinated Menon, and the fact that one gets to explore all the world by just sitting at a table at home fascinated him. Menon said he gravitated towards geography as it allows him to explore the world and learn and study different cultures. “Geography lets me be a global citizen,” he told News India Times, adding that there’s so much to see and learn in the world.
To prepare for the competition, Menon said he used several methods of studying like reading geography books and using Wikipedia, following a structured pattern of researching various topics at a time and looking at maps, “lots of maps.” He is also a member of several online geography communities, where members quiz and learn from each other.
According to his profile on the National Geographic website, Menon also enjoys math, science and technology. In his spare time, he likes to read, and he’s a huge fan of the “Harry Potter” series. The best place he’s visited is Dubai, and he’d love to go to Brazil.
Yarlagadda is an 11-year-old 6th grader at Grand Blanc East Middle School in Grand Blanc, a suburb of Flint, Michigan. She’s a member of her school’s Quiz Bowl team and enjoys playing the piano and reading. Her favorite part about geography is learning about different cultures and foods from around the world. She’d love to visit Rome.
Wagle is a 13-year-old 8th grader at Southwest Junior High School in Springdale, Arkansas. He was MVP of the 2015 Northwest Arkansas Regional Quiz Bowl Tournament and captain of his team. He enjoys playing chess, the violin and video games. He’d love to visit Italy for its landmarks, its beaches and especially its cuisine.
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