Exeter Student is National Geographic Spelling Bee Finalist

EXETER, N.H. - An eighth-grade student from Exeter was a top 10 finalist in the the National Geographic Bee over the weekend. Although, he didn't win, Sean Cheng, 14, represented New Hampshire in the finals in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, according to WMUR.

Out of all 54 contestants, Cheng, who attends Cooperative Middle School in Stratham, had the highest overall score.

“Right now, I’m still processing everything, because it was just so cool,” Cheng said after the semi-finals.
This year is the first time Cheng made it to nationals, hosted by comedian Mo Rocca. He’s had to answer some difficult questions to make it this far in the competition.

Cheng, who enjoys math and playing soccer, joined an online study group to prepare for the bee.
“And also, I just do what everyone thinks I do: I just look at maps, use Wikipedia, use books,” he said.

Venkat Ranjan, 13, of California won the championship, which included a $50,000 scholarship, an expedition to the Galapagos Islands and a lifetime subscription to National Geographic.

Other finalists included Gayatri Kaimal of Arizona, 13; Atreya Mallanna of Massachusetts, 11; Jonathan Song of North Carolina, 14; Saket Pochiraju of Ohio, 13; and Ashwin Sivakumar of Oregon, 13.

To read the full story, visit WMUR.

Courtesy Photo / National Geography Society