Picayune Junior High student David Fisk participated in the National Geographic’s geography bee earlier this month.
He earned the right to compete in the state level of bee by first competing against eight fellow Picayune Junior High School students, said junior high teacher and coach Thomas Smith.
After winning the local competition, Fisk took an online questionnaire to qualify for the state competition. His performance on the questionnaire enabled him to compete on the state level. This year’s event was held at the Copiah Lincoln Community College near Jackson, Smith said. The coach said this was the first time in more than a decade that a Picayune student qualified to compete in the bee on the state level. Smith said Fisk made it to the semifinal round during the the state-wide competition.
Fisk is an eighth grader at Picayune Junior High who was born and raised in Indiana, and has also lived in New York. He and his family moved to Picayune about four years ago. Geography is his favorite subject in school because other places in the world interest him. He hopes to be able to travel more when he grows up.
Upon graduation from high school, Fisk plans to work towards a career in video game development, or possibly write a book.
After doing so well in the state competition this year, Fisk is considering entering the bee again next year.
His suggestion for anyone competing in next year’s event is to study the national parks, major rivers and mountain ranges and know the lowest points on each continent.
“That’s the ones that did me in,” Fisk said.