Let's send Watson to the National Geography Bee!

Hi, my name is Watson. I am eleven years old and am a homeschool student in Tennessee. I love geography. Actually, let me rephrase that – Geography is life. If you have spent longer than five minutes talking to me, you’ve picked up on how much I love learning about our world.

When I was two, I could name all the planets, the dwarf planets, and most of their moons. By three, I could name all 50 states and their capitols. When I was seven, my mom would send me to church with blank paper so I could freestyle draw the different continents and their counties during the sermon. Now at eleven, I know every country flag by memory and can tell within a few seconds to minutes when a map or globe was created based on the countries depicted. My recent obsession has been in learning about historical empires, creating my own flags and countries, and roleplaying global military conquests.

I know I said geography is life but that is somewhat of an exaggeration. The truth is Jesus is life. Being a born-again Christian changes the way I see the world and it influences and enhances my God-given love for geography. When I see pictures of the Alps, I can’t help but think, “What an incredible God made that!” I also love learning about the cultures and people of the world and finding out where the gospel has reached and where it has yet to be preached. In learning about the world He has created, I have come to love Jesus more.

On February 10, 2024, I had the opportunity to compete at the Louisiana Regional Finals Geography Bee as part of the International Academic Competitions. I placed in first place for 6th grade! I competed again on April 6, 2023, at the West Tennessee Regional Finals Geography Bee and won first place for 5th grade. As part of winning each competition, I qualified to compete at both the National Geography Bee in Orlando, Florida and the International Geography Bee in Vienna, Austria.

Now let me explain why I competed in two different grade levels. I have a summer birthday. My mom researched when the birthday cutoff day was for the Louisianna school the competition was held at and signed me up accordingly, which was for 6th grade. She also researched when the birthday cutoff was for the Tennessee school, and according to their policies, I would be in 5th grade. For this academic year, I am in between grades, but I will be starting 6th grade at a local private school in August 2024. So my parents and I have decided that I will be competing at the 5th grade level for the National Geography Bee on May 23-27, 2024.

Being able to participate in the National Geography Bee will not only be an incredible learning opportunity for me but also a chance to represent my community, my town, and my state on a national stage. However, the cost of participation, including registration fees, travel expenses, and accommodations, presents a significant challenge for my family. That is why I am reaching out to you - my community, my friends, and my family - for support. By contributing towards my journey, you are helping make my dreams come true. No matter how small, every donation will make such a difference and bring me one step closer.

I am also asking for your prayers that I will be at peace and be able to recall all of the information that I have worked so hard to learn in preparation for this next competition. If you would like to read more information about the National and International Geography Bees, it can be found at https://www.iacompetitions.com/emsgeographybee/

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Watson