Saint Anne student named Geographic State Bee semifinalist
Joseph Laterza, an eighth-grader at St. Anne Parish School, Barrington, has been notified by the National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2017 Illinois National Geographic State Bee.
The contest will be Friday, March 31, at Braden Auditorium, Bone Student Center, Illinois State University, Normal. Laterza is the son of Franco and Nancy Laterza.
This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, which is now in its 29th year. St. Anne fifth- to eighth-grade students answered questions as they participated in the school bee. The 10 finalists were: Julia Benkendorf, Maddie Carroll, Tyler Hoffman, Joseph Laterza, Peter Maestranzi, Emily Nakiganda, Tommy O'Neill, Maddy Reed, Tommy Sneed, and Joey Taylor.
Laterza, won the school competition and seventh-grader Tyler Hoffman was the runner-up.
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 receive $100, the National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World, 4th Edition, and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship May 14-17 at National Geographic Society headquarters.
The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the society, including a subscription to National Geographic magazine, and an all-expenses paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the new National Geographic Endeavour ll.
Travel for the trip is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. Visit www.natgeobee.org for information on the National Geographic Bee.
The National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD will air the 2017 National Geographic Bee Championship, moderated by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca, on Friday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET. Public television stations will broadcast the final round at a later date. Check local television listings for the air date and time in your area.
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