Nationals and Internationals for Jakobe

As many of you may know, my brother Jakobe Swift has made a great accomplishment this year. Back in March, he competed in a regional history bee in Syracuse, NY. This competition is held by the National History Bee & Bowl which operates as a division of the International Academic Competitions. This organization has events in over 30 countries around the world, including the biennial International History Olympiad. To qualify for the regional competition, Jakobe had to take a 50 question multiple choice test online — he finished in under 10 minutes and answered 46/50 correctly. Our family was very unsure what to expect at this competition. It was a buzzer based competition divided into 5 separate divisions (divisions were divided by grade level — 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, and 4th & under — with some divisions being combined depending on number of participants). Jakobe was the youngest kid in the competition and competed against one other person, a 6th grader. While this seems like his win was a gimme situation, he ended the day with the highest score out of every participant from every grade level in every round including the finals! With this amazing accomplishment, Jakobe has qualified for both the National History Bee competition being held in Arlington, VA June 1-4. He has also qualified for the biennial International History Olympiad held July 23-31 in Rome Italy! While we are all incredibly proud and excited for this amazing accomplishment, it is a large financial commitment. To help Jakobe get the best experience possible, we are in the process of hosting fundraisers — including this GoFundMe. Money raised will be used towards expenses such as hotels, travel (gas and airfare), food, registration fees, and excursions/tours throughout Rome. Words cannot describe the excitement Jakobe has about his endeavors and he as well as our family greatly appreciate any contribution you are able and willing to make. We would also like to say thank you to everyone who has been a part of Jakobe’s life and education thus far and for allowing him to continue diving into his academic interests. Extra special thank you to Ms. Tracy Knavel for introducing Jakobe to the beautiful, vast world of history!!