A student from Bernice MacNaughton High School will board a plane tomorrow on his way to Ottawa to compete in the National Final of the Canadian Geographic Challenge.
James Cogswell is one of two students from New Brunswick taking part in what is considered to be Canada’s largest student geography competition. This is his second year, so he hopes experience will work in his favour this time, “I know how it works now and how it is set up, so it is definitely going to be a bit easier.”
He says he has always had an interest in the subject, “When I was really, really young, it wasn’t an interest in Geography, but it was an interest in Trivia, and that changed into an interest in Geography as I got older.”
He’ll be facing two days of tough questions and demanding field work testing his geographical knowledge.
On June 5th, five competitors will face off at the iconic Canadian War Museum where one student will be named National Champion.
The top three contestants will receive a cash prize.
Cogswell says his future career involves Geography, but it isn’t the main skill required, “I’m hoping for a career in Aviation, as an Air Traffic Controller or a Pilot.”
He is in Grade 9, and he took part in Reach for the Top this year, which he says wasn’t all Geography questions, but his knowledge did help him in that category.
Cogswell will be joined by Holden O’Donnell of Fredericton, who is also heading for Ottawa tomorrow, and who also shares the same love of Geography.
