Home state: Montana

Grade level: Eighth

“I spent a lot of time preparing for the Bee, but I didn’t really expect to get very far, much less win,” says Anders Knospe. But in 1994 Anders did just that.

Anders’s accomplishment has led to other opportunities. In 1995 he served as a judge for his school’s Bee and was a guest speaker at the Montana State Bee. That same year, he was the captain of the United States team in the Society’s second International Geography Olympiad, held at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Geography isn’t the only subject in which Anders, who is a junior in high school, has an interest. He has participated in science and speech competitions. Drama is also an interest for Anders—he’s been in five high school plays.

Anders recently participated in a student-exchange program, spending three weeks studying in Germany. The trip also provided the opportunity to travel to locations in Germany, France, and Switzerland. “Instead of learning about another culture in a book, I actually got to experience it myself,” he says. In return, his school hosted a group of German students who wanted to experience American culture.

Anders offers some practical advice for Bee contestants. “Stay calm. Being nervous won’t make the questions any easier.”

Winning Question:

The Tagus River roughly divides which European country into two agricultural regions?

Answer: Portugal

         Photograph by Pete Souza