Local student named California National Geographic State Bee semifinalist

Nithin Chilakapati, an 8th grader at Carmel Valley Middle School, has been notified by the National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2018 California National Geographic State Bee. The contest will be held at California State University, Fresno, on Friday, April 6.

This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, which is now in its 30th year. Geographic Bees were held in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout the state to determine each school champion. School champions then took a qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. 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 Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the State Bees.

Each state champion will represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship to be held at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 20-23. The first-place national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, and an all-expenses-paid expedition to the Galápagos Islands. Second- and third-place finishers will receive $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships, respectively. Visit www.natgeobee.org for more information on the National Geographic Bee.