Tim Schobel of West Windsor took second place in the New Jersey Geography Bee held at Cook College earlier this year. His prizes included — appropriately — a globe and a $75 gift certificate. A sixth grade student at Center School in Highland Park, Tim was the winner of his school bee and then, after submitting a written exam, he was chosen as one of the top 100 and was invited to the state contest.##M:[more]##
The final question that tripped him up: What island nation off the coast of Africa was first settled by Arab merchants in the 15th century? Tim guessed the Seychelles. The correct answer was Comoros.
Tim has acquired his geographical expertise through a combination of study and travel. “I studied capital cities, the tallest mountains, the largest cities, rivers, and road atlases,” he says. “I also kept up with current events.” He also watches movies, plays video games, and enjoys listening to a wide variety of music.
Born in West Windsor, Tim is the son of Bruce and Jeanne Schobel of West Windsor. His sister Cathy graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School, Class of 1999. His brother Dan graduated from High School North, Class of 2004; and his brother Michael graduated from High School North, Class of 2003.
Tim’s father, an actuary with New York Life in Manhattan, travels routinely out-of-state and out-of-country. His aim is to visit the capitals of all 50 states. He is at 48 now with Boise, Idaho, and Carson City, Nevada, on his to-do list. Bruce Schobel often takes his children on trips and this summer Tim will accompany his father to Australia.
As a result of his parents’ efforts to find the best educational match for him, Tim has traveled more than most children his age between home and school. He attended Dutch Neck Presbyterian Nursery School for one year, and New Horizons Montessori School for two years. He was a student at Dutch Neck School and then Village school through fourth grade. And last year, as a fifth grade student at the Education Services Commission (ESC) in Kingston, he took seventh place in the geography competition. (The News, April 15, 2005).
The contest, run by the National Geographic Society, is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms. Students in grades four through eight are eligible for the competition. Although Tim realizes that he is the understudy for the winner at the nationals in May, he figures that he has two more chances at being number one and heading to the national competition on his own in the future.
