Thurmont Middle School Student Travels to Chicago to Compete in History Bee National Championships

Michael Metz (pictured right), sixth grader at Thurmont Middle School, traveled to Chicago to compete in the 2019 U.S. Middle and Elementary School History Bee National Championships on June 7-8, 2019.

History Bee is a buzzer-based quiz competition that tests students on knowledge of world history and culture from the earliest civilizations through the 20^th century. Michael placed 32^nd out of almost 260 sixth-grade students from across the country and advanced to the Quarterfinal round.

Michael qualified for the National Championships as one of the top 10 sixth-grade finalists at the Baltimore Regional History Bee Competition, held on March 30, 2019. As a Regional finalist, he also automatically qualified for the biennial International History Olympiad to be held July 2020. He was the only student from Frederick County to attend the National Championships.

Michael has been passionate about history from a very young age and studied a great deal to qualify for this competition. History Bee is an extracurricular club at Thurmont Middle School. Participating students meet once a week from the beginning of the school year and qualifiy to attend the Baltimore Regional Competition by taking an online exam over the winter. The students were assisted by Candace Desonier, advanced academic specialist at Thurmont Middle School, and supported by Thurmont Middle School Principal Daniel Enck.