Whiz Kid: Thomas Bao

Oakdale Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Thomas Bao, 12

School:

Accomplishment: Bao was the winner of Skyview Middle School’s National Geographic Bee in January.

Key to Awesomeness: Eighth-grader Thomas Bao might be so good with geography because he’s already visited so many spots on the map. At 12 years old, Bao has already been to 43 states and visited Vietnam three times. He said geography was “one of those natural things that came to me.” He’ll find out in March whether he qualified for the state geography bee based on the results of a written test, he said. State winners go on to a National Geographic Bee championship held in Washington D.C. in May, where the first prize is a $25,000 scholarship. As for Bao’s future, he said he might incorporate geography into a career, possibly as a teacher.

Each week, Oakdale Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual  kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Oakdale Patch Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to patty.busse@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information: nominator's name, nominator's e-mail, Whiz Kid's name, Whiz Kid's age, Whiz Kid's school, Whiz Kid's accomplishment, Whiz Kid's key to awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)

If your nominee is selected, we'll contact you and assign a photographer to take a photo. For questions, e-mail patty.busse@patch.com.