WKU News

Taylor Smith of Irvington, an eighth-grader at Breckinridge County Middle School, took top honors at the 2019 Kentucky Geographic Bee on March 29 at WKU’s Knicely Conference Center. 

Smith was among 82 Geographic Bee champions from around the state who competed in the event hosted by WKU’s Geography and Geology Department. WKU faculty, staff and student volunteers judged and moderated the competition. 

Second place and a $300 prize went to eighth-grader Arnav Dharmagadda of Russell Middle School in Russell. Third place and a $100 prize went to Owen Cody a seventh-grader of Lone Oak Middle School in Paducah.

The state winner received $1,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to represent Kentucky in the national finals of the Bee at National Geographic Society headquarters in May.  The National Geographic Bee is organized by the National Geographic Society. Up to 100 fourth- to eighth-graders in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Atlantic and Pacific territories, and Department of Defense Dependents Schools participated in state-level Bee on March 29.  The final round, to be held at the National Geographic Society’s headquarters, will be moderated by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca and will be streamed at www.natgeobee.org starting May 22. 

The national champion will receive a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, which includes a lifetime subscription to National Geographic magazine, and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands. For information on the National Geographic Bee or to sign up your school for the 2020 competition, visit www.natgeobee.org.

Kentucky’s top 10 finalists also included Joe Brandel of Turkey Foot Middle School in Edgewood, Lela Grillot of Highlands Middle School in Fort Thomas, Jonah Hubert of Winburn Middle School in Lexington, Gavin Moberly of Farnsley Middle School in Louisville, Ethan Skolnick of Walden School in Louisville, Ezra Smith-Pohl of Noe Middle School in Louisville, and Ceasar Villeda of Calloway County Middle School in Murray.

Contact: Amy Nemon, (270) 745-3082 or amy.nemon@wku.edu