It pays to know geography -- just ask William Lee

(Rebecca Hale/National Geographic)

By Kate Augusto, Globe Correspondent

William Lee, an eighth-grader at a Woburn middle school, said he’s been studying for months in preparation for the annual National Geographic Bee.

All his hard work paid off today when he ranked third in the finals, earning a college scholarship of $10,000.

“We’re very proud of him; he’s done a great job,” said Joyce Middle School Principal Thomas Qualey.

Woburn has been participating in the bee, geared for grades 4 through 8, for at least 15 years of the 20 it’s been held, said geography teacher Joseph Tuzzolo. He said it’s a great opportunity for students to get immersed in a subject that can sometimes get overlooked.

The first round of the bee is at the school level. About 1,000 students participate in this level from Woburn, Qualey said. Each school in the state can have one winner, who takes a test.

The top 100 qualifying students, based on test scores, are chosen to represent their schools and compete at the state level. One student from each state and territory then moves on to the nationals in Washington D.C. The top 10 of those make it into the final round, which was held earlier today.

Lee was excited about his win this year, having put in so much work.

“There’s no one book to study,” he said. “You have to just study everything with anything that has to do with geography.”

The first place winner was a sixth-grader from Lincoln, Neb., who was awarded a $25,000 college scholarship, Qualey said.

The final round, hosted by Alex Trebek, will be televised tonight on the National Geographic Channel.

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