From Alaska to D.C.: Meet the 2024 National Civics Bee Champion

When the streamers burst from cannons in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Great Hall, fourteen-year-old Emily from Anchorage, Alaska, stood center stage in tears. She had just been named the first-ever National Civics Bee® Champion, taking home the Bill Daniels National Civics Award and a $100,000 education savings account. 

Emily’s journey to the national stage began through the Alaska Chamber of Commerce‘s state competition in June. She was one of more than 8,000 middle school students who participated in National Civics Bee competitions across 28 states this year.  

Through essay submissions and live quiz challenges, these future civic leaders competed for a chance to represent their state in Washington, D.C. “My interest in civics started because I saw how legislation can make a real difference in people’s lives, including my own,” Emily told the U.S. Chamber Foundation after her win.  

The national championship tested even the most knowledgeable civic minds in the room. While 27 student finalists tackled increasingly challenging questions about American democracy, audience members participated in their own interactive quiz – often stumped by the same questions these middle schoolers handled with ease. Through multiple rounds of competition, Emily shared the stage with an incredible group of finalists, ultimately joining Michael from Iowa and Keith from New Mexico on the winners’ podium. While all three showed remarkable civic knowledge, Emily’s deep understanding of democratic principles earned her the championship title.

“There was just a moment where it clicked, like, ‘She could really win this,'” Emily’s father, Brian Brubaker, shared with Alaska’s News Source. The prize carries special meaning for their family, opening up new possibilities for Emily’s future.

Those possibilities? They’re as big as the satellites Emily hopes to program one day. She plans to use her education fund at a school like MIT, setting her sights on a future career as a spacecraft programmer at NASA. 

Emily’s victory marks a milestone for the National Civics Bee, which aims to expand to all 50 states by 2026. “Definitely consider applying,” she encourages other students. “Now that I’m here and I’m meeting all these other people who are passionate about civics, I’m realizing that it’s not just a study of the people and the government, it’s also a way of bringing people together.”