Kansan Knows His Place(s)
WASHINGTON — Fourteen-year-old Andrew Wojtanik had a thick study guide his competitors didn’t have as he prepared for the 16th annual National Geographic Bee: a 432-page world almanac that he made himself.
“It’s got everything you need to know about all the countries -- its currency, its ethnic groups, its mountains, rivers -- all that stuff,” said Andrew, an eighth-grader from Overland Park, Kan. He beat 54 other semifinalists, ages 10 to 15, in two days of competition that wound up Wednesday.
The final question: Peshawar, in Pakistan, has had strategic importance for centuries because of its location near what historic pass?
Andrew’s correct answer: the Khyber Pass.
He takes home a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society and a weeklong trip to a SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Adventure Camp.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
