Annual school events add to the rich traditions in many school districts and Mokena School District 159 is no exception.
When 10 Mokena Junior High students competed Jan. 13 in the National Geographic Bee, it marked the 23rd year that the district participated in the event, sponsored annually by the National Geographic Society.
Seventh-grade student Grace Ansburg, 13, won first place in the competition after a tough five rounds that eliminated competitors who incorrectly answered two questions during the competition and leaving her in a face-off with eighth-grade student Ben Osowski. After several tie-breaker questions, Ansburg came out on top.
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As exciting as the competition was, history department chairperson and competition coordinator Victoria Albon said additional excitement has been generated by this year’s competition. For the first time in the district’s history with the National Geographic Bee, there were more girls than boys among the top ten finalists, she said.
“One of the cool things about this year … is eight out of ten (were) girls,” Albon said.
In fact, Ansburg is one of only two females to earn first place in the district’s 23 year history. Maryann Pogwist, retired Mokena Junior High social studies chairperson, who was involved with the event for 21 years, said only one other female took first in the bee and that was well over a decade ago. Ansburg, who was a bit overwhelmed immediately after her win, said the hardest part of the competition “was just getting up there because I was so nervous.” Ansburg said she was happy at the prospect of being the first female winner in a very long time and she hoped it would start a trend of female winners in future geography bee competition.
Ansburg’s next step in the competition will be a National Geographic Bee test done online which will be submitted at the state level. State contestants will compete in an oral geography bee and winners will advance to national competition in pursuit of a $50,000 scholarship from the National Geographic Society.
Other contestants were third place winner Kate Rogers, sixth grade; Andrea Montgomery and Madelyn Overstreet, seventh grade, and Joe Barrett, Joey Berardelli, Anna Bethke, Nicole Bieker, and Arwen Rolinitis, eighth grade. Bethke, who placed fourth overall, had the distinction of qualifying in all three years that she was eligible.
Albon said the geography bee is not just an important academic event for individual students, including some who “prep all year for it.” The one-hour event was filled with cheering students waving posters with the names of their individual favorites, rivaling the enthusiasm of sporting events.
“It’s a pretty big deal at our school,” Albon said. “The kids get so excited. You would think it was the playoffs.”
Ginger Brashinger is a freelance columnist.