Zachariah Sera is a fifth-grade student at Bear Creek Elementary, and probably every social studies and geography teacher’s dream. That’s because Zach is his school’s geography champion and he is headed to the state finals of the National Geographic Bee next month.

The Geo Bee, sponsored by the National Geographic Society, is an annual competition for students grades four through eight. One hundred students from across Oregon will compete in the State Level Finals on April 6 at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. The finalists were chosen based on their scores on a written test.

How did he do it? Zach’s interest in geography began at a young age, so young in fact, that he doesn’t remember exactly how.

”My mom had to tell me where I developed my interest in geography because I didn’t remember,” Zach said. ”And what she told me was that I had two imaginary friends that lived on the back of our couch. There was a map of the world hanging on the wall behind it, and I would always ask my mom the names of the countries and places.”

Bear Creek Elementary has a Geo Bee every year, and each class that wants to participate holds its own. Each student who wins then proceeds to the second round, the all-school Geo Bee conducted by the principal, Kathy Saterdahl.

”During the first round, there were mostly questions about America and if someone got two answers wrong in a row, they were out,” said Zach. ”I was the winner in my class, so I went to the competition against kids in our whole school.”

Competition at Bear Creek was tough, and in order to become the champion, Zach had to overcome an obstacle a fourth-grader.

”There was a lot of tie breakers, five I think, and it was between a fourth-grader and myself,” he said. ”It just went back and forth. He would get a question wrong, then I’d get a question wrong, but eventually he got one wrong and I got it right.”

After winning the Geo Bee at his school, Zach took a written test.

”It was basically a fill in the bubble test,” he said. And up to this point, Zach had some idea of how the Bee worked, because he was the champion of Bear Creek Elementary last year, as a fourth-grader.

”I didn’t get as far as going to state last year,” he said. ”I guess I didn’t get enough of the questions right on the written test.”

Zach’s teacher, Bill Shotton, is impressed with Zach’s ”unique intelligence.”

”His greatest strength is knowledge in geography and science, and Zach is in good company. His classmates enjoy learning as well,” Shotton said.

”Last year, during the school Geo Bee, in seven rounds with seven questions in each, Zach missed only one.”

Traveling to the state level is quite an accomplishment, and Zach is preparing for the event. To help him study, he has borrowed a book from the library that was put together by the National Geographic Society and is used specifically for studying for the Geographic Bee.

For a fifth-grade student at Bear Creek, going to the state level for the National Geographic Bee is a big deal.

”We’ve never once had a student make it to the state finals before,” Shotton said.

”And I’ve been organizing the local geography bees for seven years.”

The one student who wins the state Bee from each state will go to Washington, D.C., in May to compete nationally. This portion of the Bee will be televised nationally and hosted by Alex Trebeck.

Even though Zach has yet to go to state, let alone the nationals, he has high hopes.

”I want to be the grand champion,” he said.

”But even if I don’t go to Washington, D.C., I’ll still watch it on TV. Maybe I’ll see the Oregon champion, and I could say, ‘Hey, I know that kid.’ ”