BHMS Student Louis Esposito Named 2019 National Geographic GeoBee New Jersey State Bee Semifinalist
Bunker Hill Middle School eighth-grader Louis Esposito has qualified as a New Jersey State semifinalist in the 2019 National Geographic Geo Bee. Esposito will be among state competitors at Rowan University on Friday, March 29, 2019, vying for a state championship and a trip to Washington, D.C., for the national championship.
Esposito advanced to the second level of the National Geographic GeoBee competition, which is now in its 31st year, after claiming the school championship at Bunker Hill Middle School and subsequently qualifying through an online test. The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the State GeoBees.
“Louis went up against tough competitors during Bunker Hill Middle School's GeoBee but was able to edge out a win over his fellow classmates without getting a single question wrong during the final rounds,” BHMS social studies teacher and GeoBee coordinator Saumil Prasad said. “Louis has a love for geography, and his hard work and dedication to the subject has paid off as he will represent not just Bunker Hill, but the entire Washington Township community as he competes for the title of state champion. I, along with everyone else at Bunker Hill, am very proud of his achievement and will be cheering for him as he moves on to the next round."
State champions will receive a medal, $1,000 in cash and other prizes, and a trip to the nation’s capital to represent their state in the National Championship to be held at National Geographic Society headquarters from May 19-22, 2019. State runners-up and third-place finishers will receive cash awards of $300 and $100, respectively.
Each state champion will advance to the National Championship and compete for cash awards and college scholarships. The 2019 national champion will receive a $25,000 college scholarship, $1,000 in cash, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galapagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II. The second-place winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship and $1,000 in cash. Third place will receive a $5,000 scholarship and $1,000 in cash. Seven runners-up each will receive $1,000 in cash.
Visit www.natgeobee.org for more information on the National Geographic GeoBee and www.natgeoed.org/experiences to following the national competition in May.