TOM EADER

ST. CROIX — After winning his school's geography bee in Janu­ ary and the Territorial Geogra­ phy Bee on April 3, 14-year-old Nathan Peacock, an eighth grad­ er at St. Croix Country Day School, will now be heading to Washington, D.C. to represent the Virgin Islands in the Nation­ al Geography Bee on May 19.

"It feels good." Nathan Peacock said about winning the territori­ al competition. "I've always want­ ed to win it since I was in fourth grade."

While Nathan Peacock said he felt "good" about winning the ter­ ritorial competition, his mother, Pamela Peacock, said the news took her by surprise.

"We were shocked and sur­ prised when we got the call that he won the final round on St. Thomas," she said.

Pamela Peacock said she often finds her son in a corner study­ ing a globe or an atlas. She said he has always been interested in the history of othef countries.

Denise Blanchette, Country Day School dean of the middle school, said one of the reasons eighth graders do well during the geography bee is because part of the school's seventh-grade cur­riculum includes memorization of the world map.

"Nathan is a kid who is really interested in geography and the world around him, so he's always done good at that," she said. Nathan Peacock competed against approximately 15 students from grades fourth through eighth during his school's geography bee. He will be one of 54 finalists competing in the National Geography Bee from the 50 Peacock said he also studied locations of countries on the globe and the culture of different countries, as well as their economy, industry, demographics and current events. He said he learned about current events by watching CNN news. In order to prepare for the geography bees he won, Nathan Peacock, whose favorite subject is history, said he took the daily quiz each day on the National Geographic Web site, read National Geographic books and maps and • reviewed the National Geographic Bee study guide after completing his homework. Now that Nathan Peacock will be heading to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national competition, he said he will continue studying after school once a week with his geography teacher, Peggy Keylin. He has a chance to win a college scholarship during the national event as the first-place winner will receive a $25,000 scholarship, the second-place winner will receive a $15,000 scholarship and the third-place winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship. "It will be fun to meet other kids there from around the country, and winning," he said. Pamela Peacock said she is proud of her son for his achievements. "It's exciting," she said. "We're proud of him." Nathan Peacock, who plans on becoming a mechanical engineer, said he might attend college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is currently a member of his school's swim team and steel pan band, as well as the Boy Scouts. He is working toward becoming an Eagle Scout.