Civics Excellence on Display! Congratulations, Calista!

We are incredibly proud of our Southwest Washington Civics Bee finalists - Calista, Aaryana, and Nirvan - who represented our region at the Washington State Finals last Saturday in Olympia. During the state championship, students competed in two rounds of live quiz questions on American government, the U.S. Constitution, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. 

A special congratulations to Calista, a seventh-grade homeschool student, who earned 1st place in the 2026 National Civics Bee Washington State Finals. She received a $1,000 prize and will go on to represent Washington State at the National Civics Bee Championship in Washington, D.C. this fall.

Calista, who placed third in last year’s state competition, also delivered a compelling speech outlining her vision to launch a nonprofit focused on helping communities prepare for wildfires. She shared her personal experience evacuating during the Burdoin Fire, which destroyed 14 homes and threatened more than 250 others - including her own.

Click here to read more about this inspiring competition.