Fremont 7th Grader Takes Third in Geography Bee

The seventh grader in Fremont has loved geography since his parents gave him a cardboard globe a decade ago.

Varun Mahadevan, 13, of Hayward came in third place at the National Geographic Bee in Washington D.C, and goes home with a $10,000 check.

"I'm really proud of what I have done," Varun told NBC Bay Area on Tuesday. "I was really excited...I was confident, but I never knew I would get this far. NBC Bay Area's Kris Sanchez will interview Varun at 7 p.m. Tune in for the full report then.

The seventh grader at Prince of Peace Christian School in Fremont has loved geography since his parents gave him a cardboard globe a decade ago. To study, he "checks out" the Atlas and stays abreast of current events.

According to his biography, Varun loves reading, ice skating and hopes to play ice hockey. He also plans to be a zoologist when he grows up.

Rahul Nagvekar, 14, of Sugar Land, Texas, won first place, meaning he'll also get a $25,000 scholarship to college and a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Vansh Jain, 13, of Minocqua, Wis., came in second.

The winning question asked by Emmy Award winner Alex Trebek during the May 24 event: What is the Bavarian city located on the Danube River that was a legislative seat of the Holy Roman Empire from 1663 to 1806?

Answer: Regensburg.

To see a video of the bee found on the National Geographic website, click here.

If you're up to it, you, too, can take a GeoBee Quiz.
 

To watch a raw video of Varun speak about his third place win, click here.

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

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