A Mamquam Elementary student gave geography buffs across the province a run for their money April 19, when he finished sixth at the Great Canadian Geography Challenge B.C. finals in Nakusp.Seventh grader Ben Stuchbery was up against students several years his senior as he nailed a flurry of physical geography questions among students as high as Grade 10. The questions varied from local to international geography.In some cases he would name a country and its capital by looking at a number on a map. Other times he would answer questions about proximity, such as "Which country is situated between Saudi Arabia and Iraq?"For Stuchbery, the answer is obvious: Kuwait. The 13-year-old French Immersion student from Valleycliffe was selected as a provincial finalist after a showdown against four other students in the school's library, followed by a qualifying round online.His success was no surprise to his homeroom teacher, Charlene Verbeek, who described him as an amazing and self-directed learner."Every single day he'll go online. He'll study," she said. She noted that he does his in-class geography work in French, adding an extra challenge to his area of expertise. When Stuchbery finishes high school, she said she expects many scholarship opportunities to open up for him."Maybe he'll work for the United Nations. Who knows?" she said.Despite Verbeek's encouragement, Stuchbery is decidedly modest, shrinking at any word of congratulations.After all, he didn't become a geography expert through laborious study sessions. Stuchbery simply reaches for reference material "whenever I feel like it.""I've been reading atlases and maps for as long as I can remember," he said. "I just did it myself -took an interest in it."To prepare for the competition, Stuchbery said he stuck to his normal habits of atlas reading, and tested himself with online practice questions.When he heads to Don Ross Secondary next year, he said he hopes to see the competition carried over so he can continue to compete, this time with less of an age gap between him and the older geography experts he admired in Nakusp."They were really good. I thought they were really smart," Stuchbery said of his competitors.He noted he was grateful for the support of his teachers who got him involved in the competition. While he enjoys biking and reading, he said he also likes to see geography come to life by traveling. So far, he has been able to visit to a number of the places including Ontario, Yukon, Alaska, and the United Kingdom.With Stuchbery on board, there is little reason for his family to ask for directions when they travel."I'm always the one with the map."
