Geographic Bee SemifinalistAndrew Schaeffer, an 8th grader at St. Joseph elementary, was notified by the National Geographic Society that he was one of 100 semi-finalists in the 2010 California Geographic Bee. He began his journey by winning the school geography bee at St. Joseph Elementary school where he bested nine other students in a competition in front of the entire student body. Following his school win, Andrew took a qualifying test which was submitted to the National Geographic Society. Andrew's performance on the qualifying test placed him in the top 100 in the state and earned him a trip to Sacramento.
According to his father, Dave Schaeffer, the 'map gene' runs in the Schaeffer family. Andrew's grandfather was a navigator with American Airlines before computers, when maps and geography were used to locate a destination.
"It doesn't surprise me that Andrew would be the first student ever from our school to qualify for the state level of competition," said Erin Wright, a Social Studies teacher at St. Joseph. "He is one of our top students and does well retaining his composure under pressure."
The 2010 California Geographic Bee was held at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento on April 9. The state winner received $100, the "National Geographic Collegiate Atlas of the World," and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent California in the national finals in May. The national winner received a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. In addition, the national winner will travel to the Galapagos Islands to experience geography firsthand. Unfortunately, Andrew did not make it to the finals, but he represented his school beautifully.
For additional information the National Geographic Bee please visit www.nationalgeographic.com/geographicbee.
Submitted by Nancy Cusato-Gallegos
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