Montville State Geography Bee Champ Competing In National Round

MENDHAM, NJ — Veda Bhattaram, a seventh grade student at Robert R. Lazar Middle School in Montville Township, New Jersey, is a two-time champion in the National Geographic sponsored NJ State Geography Bee. He received his second state championship on March 31, 2017. That State championship earned him the opportunity to compete a second time at the National Geographic Bee competition in Washington D.C. The 2017 event is the 29th Annual National Geographic Bee competiti

On Monday, May 15, at the end of preliminaries, Bhattaram was named a Top 10 Finalist. On Wednesday, May 17 he will compete in the National Geographic Bee Championship Round.

2017 is the second time Bhattaram has won the NJ State Geography Bee. Before Bhattaram’s March win, 2002 was the last time a student won the NJ Geography Bee championship two years in a row. For Bhattaram the NJ Geography Bee Championship came down to a tie-breaker round.

This unique win also provided Bhattaram with his second opportunity to compete in the National Geographic Bee competition.

“I was very calm this year, because I had won the NJ competition before,” Bhattaram said of his 2017 NJ State win. He noted that the experience of having competed twice before at the state level, and once before at the national level helped to prepare him for the 2017 NJ Geography Bee competition.

To prepare for the D.C. competition Bhattaram said he “studies during all of his free time.” He has also worked closely with Lazar Social Studies teachers Caitlin Cardinale and Christopher Carman to prepare.

“He has a tremendous passion for geography,” Carmen said. “It’s really neat.”

“The depth of his knowledge is amazing” Cardinale noted. “He keeps us on our toes.”

“Whenever I have time, I’m studying,” added Bhattaram.

Qualifying for the Championship Round is proof the 13-year old’s dedication has paid off.

On, May 17, the Top 10 Finalists will compete for the National Championship. 2.6 million students, from 10,000 schools across the United States of America, compete for the opportunity to be one of the 54 who compete for the title of National Champion at the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C.

The National Geographic Bee is open to students in the fourth through eighth grades. It has been held annually since 1989. Since 1989 only two New Jersey students have landed geography’s top spot in the nation.

Champions of the National Geographic Bee receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.

Bhattaram’s parents, Satyendra Bhattaram, Sirisha Suram, and his younger brother, Vihari Bhattaram, are with him in Washington D.C.

The four-day competition is being held this year from May 14-17 at National Geographic’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. It moderated by humorist and journalist Mo Rocca.

National Geographic will air the final round of the National Geographic Bee Championship at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, May 19. It will also be aired later on public television stations; check local television listings for dates and times.