Studying the Past, Shaping the Future

Arlo’s journey with the National Civics Bee® began with looking to the past.  

The California state winner has a deep passion for learning about history. He spends his free time delving into books, immersing himself in time periods from the Victorian era through the World Wars. It was in history class—his favorite subject—where he discovered the opportunity to harness this passion through the National Civics Bee. “I learned about the Bee from my teacher, Ms. Stevens,” Arlo says. “I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for me because history, government, and civics are some of my main fields of interest.”  

While his inspiration to participate may have come from his love for history, the idea for his topic came from spending time outside in his neighborhood. Arlo is part of a community service club at his school, which led him and his dad to spend time cleaning up litter at a local park.  “We found that there was a lot of trash in the park that the two of us alone couldn’t pick up.”  

This experience inspired the topic for Arlo’s essay: litter in parks and neighborhoods and how this can be combatted through trash cleanups. “I want to help more people get to know about this problem and help solve it.” Even before the National Civics Bee, Arlo had put this goal into action; he established ‘Trash Force’, an organization that hosts trash pickups in parks across his city.  

Despite his preparation for the competition, which included practicing his speech in front of his family and the Boys and Girls Club at his school, Arlo’s path to victory at the Bee wasn’t without its share of excitement. After the first round, Arlo was tied for fifth place, with only the top five participants being able to advance. Though Arlo recalls that he was “very nervous” during the tiebreaker round that ensued, he reflects that this moment allowed him to showcase his unique success in turning his interest into action through Trash Force.

Arlo’s experience with the National Civics Bee helped him “learn a lot more about the government and how it works, along with important court cases and congressional acts.” He shares that the competition helped grow his interest in civics, and that he is excited to come to Washington, D.C. in the fall and be immersed in an environment of rich history.  

Arlo’s story reminds us how both understanding the past and seeing the present needs of the community around us help us to create a safer, healthier future for our country. Congratulations, Arlo!

Photos credited to the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce and the Richard Nixon Foundation.