OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Five of the state’s brightest middle school students competed in Oklahoma’s 2024 National Civics Bee competition, with one student winning $1,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national championship.
Cullen Perez, an eighth grader at Lawton MacArthur Middle School, won the Civics Bee competition, held Wednesday at Will Rogers Theatre in Oklahoma City. Alghassim Diallo, a seventh grader at Lawton MacArthur, Remi Isom, a seventh grader at Bishop Schools in Lawton, Stran Talley, a ninth grader at Stillwater Junior High School, and Harry Wang, a ninth grader at Stillwater Junior High, were the other four finalists participating in the state championship. Talley took second place, and Isom won third.
State legislative and education leaders were in attendance, watching the five future leaders put their deep civic knowledge to the test by answering highly challenging questions about civics, which included U.S. government and judicial history. The competition was close, with all five finalists answering several difficult questions correctly and giving insightful speeches about the essay each wrote prior to the competition.
“We were all so incredibly impressed with all five of you,” State Rep. Jon Echols, who served as one of the three judges, said to the five finalists before announcing the competition results. “I really want all of you to be very proud of what you have accomplished, and I want you to know that the score was very close between all five of you.”
Former Oklahoma House of Representatives Democratic Leader Emily Virgin and former Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Taylor also presided over the competition as judges.
Perez, an outgoing youngster who has a love for jazz and trombone, said preparing for the competition was nerve-racking, but he looks forward to visiting the nation’s capital for the final competition. He plans to dap the president.
“I’m going to enjoy the time that I have in D.C. I am going to do a little bit of studying. I have not been to Washington, D.C. before, that’s why I want to enjoy my time there. This is a once in a lifetime experience for me,” Perez said. “I want to see the Washington Monument and anything there that has a significance to American history.”
Perez’s mother, Malinda Perez, is a school teacher and emphasizes the importance of education at home.
“I think education is incredibly important. I think one of the best gifts you can give to your children is for them to be prepared and have a good foundation so that when they decide what they want to do, they’ll have all the skills that they need to to accomplish whatever they desire,” she said.
Cullen Perez, who qualified for the state finals by coming in second at his middle school, quoted from his speech why civics education is important.
“We’re all eventually going to be 18 one day, and you should vote in elections. And if you don’t vote, well, then you’re undermining the fabric of popular sovereignty – this whole government. And if you don’t know anything about civics, then we can’t have a government that’s with the people and for the people,” he said.
Diallo was the first place winner in the Lawton MacArthur Civics Bee. His father, Abdourahamane Diallo, said he is proud of him for all of his excellent grades, devotion to studying and hard work and dedication in preparing for the Civics Bee.
“The first time, when he decided to write that essay, he said, ‘Hey, I want to take part in this.’ I said, ‘Hey, by all means, go ahead.’ And I was proud as a parent. I said, ‘Okay, well, he got something that he wants to do.’ And when he took the first place prize for Lawton I was very proud,” Abdourahamane Diallo said.
Alghassim Diallo is proficient with computers and has a passion for coding. He practiced every day for the competition and believes civics is essential for young people to become “participating citizens.”
“I think it’s important because, when you grow up, how are you going to apply for your taxes or vote if you don’t know anything about civics,” Alghassim Diallo said.
The State Chamber of Oklahoma hosted the Civics Bee. The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation partnered with The State Chamber to present the competition in Oklahoma.
“We’re so excited to encourage Oklahoma students to engage in civics with a unique platform to demonstrate their knowledge,” said Chad Warmington, president and CEO of The State Chamber. “It’s an awesome opportunity for students who want to get active in government. We’re hoping this event will grow annually and encourage more and more Oklahoma students to get involved.”
The Civics Bee encourages students across the nation to learn about government processes and contribute to their communities.
Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, was one of the numerous state legislators in attendance. He took the stage and spoke ahead of the competition, addressing many of his remarks to the finalists.
“I want you to really take a moment and appreciate what you’re learning. You’re the first country in the history of the world where a regular guy like me [and my fellow legislators] could run for office because we decided we want to go make a difference, we want to go change the way our state works, or we want to change the way our country works,” Pugh said.
Stillwater Public Schools Superintendent Uwe Gordon attended the competition. Gordon has been an educator for 41 years, and his first job was teaching civics to eighth graders.
Civics, Gordon said, are a crucial part of American education.
“I’d love to go back and [teach] that again, especially during these times,” he said. “We don’t teach civics in school anymore the way we used to. And I think it’s vital.”
