Jerome "Ielome" Asuncion II was asked to name the capital city north of Afghanistan. Kamehameha student
to represent isles
at Geographic BeeJerome Asuncion II wins in his
third try at the state contestBy Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.comHis answer: Bushanbe, Tajikistan.
For Asuncion, the son of Jerome and Ann-Marie Asuncion of Haiku, Maui, the third time in the competition was the charm.
The 13-year-old Kamehameha Schools student will represent the state in the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C., on May 21-22.
Asuncion II, a boarder at Kamehameha, took first place in a field of 82 students at the 14th annual Hawaii Geographic Bee on Friday at the Ala Moana Hotel.
Finalists included second place winner Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, eighth grade, Punahou School; and third place, Leslie Kim, sixth grade, Aina Haina Elementary.
Asuncion tied for 10th in the Hawaii Geographic Bee in the sixth grade and didn't make the finals within Kamehameha Schools when he was in the seventh grade.
Asuncion said he started studying intensely for the Geographic Bee in the first week of January, and his social studies teacher Shirley Todd spent hours after school helping him prepare for the academic competition.
"Without her, I really wouldn't have done well," Asuncion said.
He also had a sizable cheering section at the competition, including his father, mother, 9-year-old sister Breana, grandmothers Felisa Asuncion and Mary-Ann Kaopua, aunt Eleanor Asuncion, and uncles John R. Asuncion and Daven Kaopua.
"I felt so happy they supported me," Jerome said.
He said his family and relatives also plan to travel with him to the national competition, which has a top prize of a $25,000 scholarship.
Asuncion said living as a border at Kamehameha Schools and away from his family, he had to learn to rely more on himself to prepare for the competition.
He said he read numerous publications to prepare for questions on geography, including National Geographic magazine, encyclopedias, almanacs, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Newsweek.
Asuncion's mother Ann-Marie said she was proud and delighted that her son took first place, especially after his previous efforts.
She said her son's win sends a positive message to other students beginning in the competition: "For all those other students, don't give up. Set your goals and you'll be able to achieve them."