Highland Student to Compete at State Geo Bee

seventh-grader Will Maes will compete on the state level of the National Geographic Bee at the College of DuPage on April 1.

Maes qualified to compete on the state level after winning the National Geographic Bee at his middle school, said Dr. Erin Wyatt, the learning center director at the school.

“After winning the school bee, students must take a qualifying test,” Wyatt said. “Will scored in the top 100 in the state to earn a place in the Illinois competition. This is the first time in the three years that I have coordinated the Geographic Bee at Highland that we have had a student make it to the state tournament competition.”

Maes says he doesn’t really do any preparation except continue reading what he normally reads. So far, the most frustrating question he has had to answer was ‘Which city is Piccadilly Circus located in?’

“I did not know, but felt as though I should have because my younger brother talks about London fairly often,” Maes said.

Maes doesn’t remember what sparked his initial interest in history, but his mom recalls it started when he was young.

“He actually started showing an interest when he was only two and a half,” Marianne Maes said. “One day he saw a magnetic map of the U.S. and begged me for it. He learned the states in one day, both their names and where they were located. His favorite bedtime books were atlases. He just loved anything to do with maps.”

Marianne says she is really proud of Will’s achievements. In the past, Marianne found it challenging to answer his question. “Now, he answers a lot his questions himself and just shares lots of fascinating information with us,” she said.

Will’s favorite place, for now, is Uruk, an ancient city that existed in the Mesopotamia period in what is now As-Samawah, Iraq.

“It is my favorite because currently I believe that Sumerian is the most interesting civilization,” Will explained.

In the future, Will hopes to become a historian.

If Maes wins the state, he would be eligible to win the national championship and
its first prize, a $25,000 college scholarship.