Curtis Student Eyes Geographic Bee Crown

Curtis Middle School student Ben Short doesn't give off the impression he's nervous as he looks over a special app, studying for the National Geographic Bee.

But don't let that fool you.

Short knows he'll be up against some fierce competition as he prepares for the state semifinals.

"It's exciting," he says in his Maynard home. "I didn't think I would (go to the semifinals). I think I can go further."

After the school-level Bee on Dec. 7, Ben took a second test, which qualified him for the next round of testing. He will attend the 2013 Massachusetts National Geographic Bee at Worcester Academy on Friday, April 5.

And his app, named GOB, isn't the only studying guide he's using.

"I use this book, 'How to Ace the National Geographic Bee,'" he says.

Ben admits he didn't study much for the early round of the Bee, but says his study habits will change.

"I didn't study at all in the beginning," he says. "But as I get closer to state finals I'll study more."

The state winner will receive $100, the ”Complete National Geographic on DVD,” and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent Massachusetts in the national finals at National Geographic Society headquarters, May 20-22, the 25th anniversary of the Bee.

The first-place national winner will receive $25,000 and life-time membership in the Society. The national winner will also travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to the Galapagos Islands. The winner will experience geography firsthand through up-close encounters with the wildlife and landscape of the Galapagos Islands.