Haddonfield Teen to Compete in International Geography Olympiad in Japan

Moorestown Friends School (MFS) senior Joseph Kiernan will be travelling to Kyoto, Japan this summer to compete in the International Geography Olympiad. Kiernan, a Haddonfield resident, will join three other students representing the United States at the competition in Japan.

Thousands of students all over the world participate in National Geography Olympiads or competitions. The winners then compete in the International Geography Olympiad. Organized every other year, the competition consists of three parts: a written test, a multimedia test and a substantial field work exercise.

Kiernan finished third in the National Geography Bee in Washington D.C. "It was very difficult competition with a lot of serious competitors," said Kiernan, who qualified for the National Geography Bee by winning the New Jersey Geography Bee. "I'm really looking forward to representing the United States in Japan."

Kiernan was in Washington, D.C. with the MFS History Bowl team which competed at the National History Bowl. The team of Kiernan, senior Lauren Brown (Voorhees), sophomore Brett Barbin (Cinnaminson) and freshman Josh Murdy (Hainesport) advanced to the "octofinals" finishing with a 3-2 record in a pool that included schools from Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Washington. In addition, Kiernan also advanced to the quarterfinals of the National History Bee, also held last weekend.

Advisors for the competitions above were MFS Upper School History Teacher Judy van Tijn and History Department Chair Clark Thomson.