VIDEO: West Des Moines Whiz Kid Headed to National Geographic Bee

Now a seventh-grader at West Des Moines’ , John Mahoney was 2½ the first time he traveled to the Eastern United States with his family.

His mother bought him a placemat imprinted with a U.S. map, and they made a game of checking off states and cities as they traveled from Omaha to their new home in New York City.

An ordinary response to a toddler’s curiosity about where their cross-country journey would end was a pivotal moment John’s life.

“From that point on, I was hooked,” the now 13-year-old says.

He’s going East again with his family this week, this time because his love for maps and geography won him a spot among 54 of the nation’s brightest geography brainiacs at the 24th annual National Geographic Bee. They advanced from among millions of preliminary round competitors nationwide.

National Geographic says geography literacy is crucial, yet America lags far behind – ranking ahead of only Mexico in one recent survey in geographic knowledge. What do schools need to do for the United States to catch up? Tell us below in comments.

The competition, which runs Tuesday through Thursday in Washington, D.C., culminates with a prime-time simulcast of the final round, moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The two-hour special, beginning at 7 p.m. CDST, will be aired on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD.

John says he likes geography because “there’s a clear answer to everything.”

The intrigue isn’t just knowing where the countries are on the map, but how they came to be countries in the first place – an inquiry that gives him a better understanding of the geopolitical struggles that carved out new democracies in Kosovo and South Sudan, for example.

The blood that was spilled in those countries makes him more appreciative of the comforts of living in a safe Midwestern city in a country with unrivaled freedoms. When he began competing in geography contests as a fourth-grader, he began to understand how volatile the world can be.

“It just makes me happy I have the freedom to do what I want and don’t have an oppressive government telling me what to do,” he says.

Whether his future and as yet undecided career requires a geography degree of takes him in an entirely different direction, “it gives you a better understanding of the world and life,” he says.

John advanced to the national competition by winning a tiebreaker in the state competition in Grinnell on March 30.

John is the son of Dr. Craig and Michelle Mahoney. Some contestants have hired coaches, Michelle said, but the Mahoneys aren’t putting any extra pressure on their son.

John, who likes playing baseball, hanging out with his friends and sleeping when he’s not fascinated by maps, isn’t stressed about the competition. He knows it’ll be tough.

“I just hope I don’t embarrass myself,” he says. “It’ll turn out how it turns out.”

The final round of the competition will be simulcast at 7 p.m. Thursday on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD, a first in the 24-year history of the Bee. In the finals, 10 students – narrowed from the 54 national finalists and the millions of participants in preliminary competitions –  will compete for a national title and three scholarships with a combined value of $50,000.