Community Corner
Whiz Kid: Thomas Musial
The seventh-grader is headed to the state-level competition of the National Geographic Geography Bee.
Whiz Kid: Thomas Musial
Year: 7th grade
School: Quaker Valley Middle School
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Key to Awesomeness: Thomas Musial won the Quaker Valley National Geographic Geography Bee in January, which already makes him a hometown champion. But he wowed the school once again when he took a written test and became a top-100 scorer in the state, which qualified him to compete at the state level.
Thomas’s mother, Rebecca, didn't know her son was this much of a whiz kid when it comes to geography, but she attributes his knowledge to studying maps during his years at School and his good memory.
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Thomas says he has also done a lot of map work in his social studies class with his teacher, Mr. Sheffield.
“I’ve been trying to study an atlas at home, but I don’t know if I really feel ready for the competition,” Thomas said.
While he admits that geography is one of his best subjects, Thomas knows that other kids might be “like, really good.”
Ready or not, the statewide competition on Friday, April 1 at Penn State University’s University Park campus is rapidly approaching. If he reigns supreme at the state level, Thomas will go to Washington, D.C., where the one and only Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy, will moderate the national bee.
