High school senior Ayesha Rahman of Brighter Horizons Academy in Garland took home first place at the Texas Citizen Bee State Finals, held at the Texas Law Center and State Capitol on April 25. The State Bar of Texas Law-Related Education Department sponsors the program, which is made possible by a grant from the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation. Rahman, who placed second at last year’s event, took home a scholarship prize of $1,000.
Above, from left: Ayesha Rahman, Daniel Reed, Joshua Goodwin, Morgan Frisby. Photograph courtesy of Barbara Schlief.
This civic education program and competition focuses on essential American heritage, including the Constitution, important documents like the Fugitive Slave Act, a range of influential people from John Locke to Sandra Day O’Connor, landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, civic values and skills like respect and paying taxes, and significant current events.
Participating students prepare with a study guide provided by the Bill of Rights Institute and then take part in regional competitions to earn their spot at the state finals in Austin. They begin with a timed, multiple choice written exam (65 percent of final score), followed by an oral round in which they answer one question from each category (35 percent of final score).
Other 2015 state finalists included:
- 2nd Place ($750): Daniel Reed, 12th-grader at John Jay High School in Northside ISD
- 3rd Place ($500): Morgan Frisby, 12th-grader at Bowie Hight School in Austin ISD
- 4th Place and Civic Conversation Award ($750): Joshua Goodwin, 10th-grader, Cypress Woods High School in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
For more information on the Texas Citizen Bee, go to LRE’s website.