JAMAICA HILLS—The British International School of Boston (BISB) on April 11 hosted the New England regional edition of the National History Bee, an annual history competition that attracts more than 10,000 students from across the country.
The National History Bee is an academic competition for elementary and middle school students that tests knowledge of a wide range of historical topics.
Five BISB students competed, and one, Simon Risman, made it to the Top 10 round before being knocked out. About 300 students participated in the event at the 416 Pond St. school.
BISB provided the Gazette comments from some of the competing students.
“There was a lot of adrenaline,” Risman said of his Top 10 round, which took place in front of a large crowd. “It was definitely nerve-wracking.”
“When you had to press the buzzers, you could feel your heart beating out of your chest,” BISB competitor Kasra von Andrian-Werburg said.
“The competition was pretty stiff, but it was a lot of fun, too,” competing student Shani de Silva said.
Andrew Logue, another BISB participant, said that while the competition was tough, it was also very inspiring, and he now feels more motivated to further his studies in his history lessons in school.
“It was really amazing,” he said. “You could tell the level of dedication that people had to the competition. There was an air of determination among the students.”
The competition is divided into three distinct stages:
The first stage is an online regional qualifying exam that students take at school or home. The top students from the exam travel to one the 35 Regional Finals.
The top finishers from the regionals are eligible to advance to the National Finals, which will be held May 22-24 in Louisville, Ky.
Students compete in the championship round of the Boston Regional History Bee, held at the British International School of Boston on April 11. (Courtesy Photo)