Incarnate Word Academy eighth grader Gabriel Rauen placed first at the IWA Middle Geography Bee on Friday, Jan. 9. Gabriel competed with nine other students. The runner-up was eighth grader Nicholas Stark.
This is Gabriel’s third time to place first in the school’s geography bee. He placed first during his sixth and seventh grade school years, and advanced to the state geography bee both years.
Gabriel said he was relieved and had his family to thank.
“I am thankful to my parents because they have been quizzing me a lot,” he said.
In 2013, he was one of the top 27 students with perfect scores at state. In 2014, Gabriel made it through the first eight rounds of the state competition–making it to the main stage. He tied for 12th place before being eliminated.
Each year, students compete in their history classrooms to be in the top 10 to compete in the school’s geography bee. This year’s top 10 finalists are sixth-grader William McCauley; seventh-graders Emilio Aguas, Aaron Rodriguez, Lemuel Lopez and Rodolfo Solis, III; and eighth-graders Gabriella Barrera, Caitlyn Biggins, Joseph Nicholson, Nicholas Stark and Gabriel Rauen.
In the next few weeks, Gabriel will take a qualifying test before he can compete at the state geography bee this spring.
The National Geographic Society will be held in Washington, D.C from May 11-13. Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien will moderate the finals on May 13, which will air on national TV.
The first-place national winner will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands, courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.