Home state: Idaho

Grade level: Eighth

David Stillman was the first student to earn a perfect score in the national finals. After he won the Bee, his hometown of Nezperce, Idaho (population 453), posted a sign at the city limit that read “Home of the National Geography Bee Champion.” David’s academic achievements continued through high school. He competed in the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., was a National Merit Scholarship finalist, and won first place in an Idaho State Young Writers competition. He also traveled to Japan as part of an international exchange program.

Today, David is a sophomore at Northwest Nazarene College in Idaho; he is studying computer science. He is the off-campus editor of the school’s newspaper, so he reviews the news and assigns stories to student reporters. He hasn’t decided what he will do after he finishes school. “I want to find a job that allows me to work outside some of the time. There are a lot of directions I could go, and I’ll just wait and see which ones pan out,” he says. He spends summers working on his family’s Idaho ranch.

David’s perspective on geography has changed over the years. “I have come to realize that it isn’t the place that’s important. It’s the people who live there,” he says. What advice does he give Bee contestants? “Read a lot.... Study for fun, not to win the Bee. If it isn’t fun, it’s probably not worth it.”

Winning Question:

What type of landform is commonly associated with orographic precipitation?

Answer: mountain

David Stillman (left) is congratulated by the second-place winner, Carlos De La Fuente, from Arizona.

Photograph by Mark Thiessen