On Dec. 1, more than 200 high school students across Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui and Molokai tested their knowledge of international current events at the Pacific &Asian Affairs Council’s Academic WorldQuest Competition.
The winning team from Waiakea High School beat out 62 teams from 29 public and private schools. Gaayatri Godbole, Haruna Tomono, Kevin Li, and Benjamin Vento from Waiakea High School won an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C, where they will represent Hawaii in the World Affairs Councils of America National Competition. The grand prize is generously sponsored by the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation.
Students were tested this year on their knowledge of the following six
categories: How to Deal with North Korea, Japan-U.S. Relations, Current Events, Space Policy, Global Migration and Refugee Crisis and The World Trade Organization.
“We’re thrilled to see how many students came together to learn about what’s going on in our world, as well as Hawaii’s place in it. The competition has been steadily growing each year, and with it, the number of youth who seek to understand the complex ties we have to the rest of the world,” said Erica Nakanishi-Stanis, Pacific &Asian Affairs Council study tour director. “We are very proud of the winning team from Waiakea High School — they will undoubtedly represent Hawaii with distinction at the national competition and continue to cultivate the skills and knowledge needed to live, work, and thrive in the global economy.”