Jordan Thompson, a seventh grade student at Mulrennan Middle School in Valrico, recently placed in the top 25 of all students in the State Geography Bee held in Jacksonville in March.
Jordan Thompson, a seventh grade student at Mulrennan Middle School in Valrico, competed in the State Geography Bee in Jacksonville in late March. She correctly answered seven of eight questions and placed in the top 25 of all students.
Her journey to the State Geography Bee began in December when Jordan made Mulrennan Middle School history by becoming the first female student to win the school-level Geography Bee. After several tie-breaker questions, she correctly identified the state where Fresno is located – California.
Next, she took the National Geographic Bee qualifying test in January. In March, Jordan was notified she qualified for the State Geographic Bee which was held at Jacksonville University. “I was extremely shocked and excited,” she said.
Thompson was one of 100 Florida fourth-eighth graders competing for the opportunity to represent Florida at the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C., hosted by Alex Trebek.
The final round of the 2012 National Geographic Bee will be broadcast Thursday, May 24, on National Geographic’s cable channels, followed by airings on public television stations.
She prepared for the state bee by reading, watching Jeopardy!, studying maps and atlases and through daily practice questions on the National Geographic Website.
“Jordan has always had an interest in reading a variety of books, magazines such as Time and National Geographic and enjoys learning,” said her mom. Her dad continued, “Jordan is very self-motivated and has an amazing memory. Although, understanding history and geography is not just about memorizing. She can tell you amazing facts and interesting trivia.”
Jordan has learned many fascinating geographic facts. For example, the island country of Nauru in the western Pacific Ocean has no capital. Another interesting fact is: what city has the world’s longest continuous sidewalk at four-and-a-half miles? If you guessed Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa, you are correct. Jordan’s favorite geography fact is: which world capital is due north of Jerusalem, Israel? The answer is Moscow, Russia.
Jordan’s hobbies also include acting and reading. She participates in All County Chorus, school plays and competes in Math League competitions.
