Middle school students from across Region 9 recently put their historical knowledge to the test in the 10th annual Junior Citizen Bee History Competition. This event, modeled after the high school-level Citizen Bee, provides students with the opportunity to showcase their understanding of key historical concepts.

Hosted by Law-Related Education and funded by the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation, the competition began with a 36-question multiple-choice test covering content from the 8th grade Social Studies STAAR. The top 10 students advanced to the verbal rounds, where they answered questions in four categories: Constitution, Documents & Supreme Court Cases, People, and Events.

Region 9's Junior Citizen Bee Participants

This year, 14 students from three middle schools participated in the competition:

• Knox City-O’Brien CISD – Sponsored by Ricky Villanueva

• Throckmorton CISD – Sponsored by Amy Dick

• Burkburnett Middle School – Sponsored by Katherine Najar Tadlock

After an impressive competition, 10 students progressed to the final verbal round.

Congratulations to Our 2025 Winners!

🥇 1st Place – Silas Anderle, Burkburnett ISD ($100 gift card) – State Qualifier
🥈 2nd Place – Aubrey Mims, Throckmorton CISD ($50 gift card)
🥉 3rd Place – Jaycee Sharp, Knox City-O’Brien CISD ($25 gift card)

(Silas Anderle is a second-year competitor and state qualifier!)

Silas Anderle Advances to State!

As the Region 9 champion, Silas Anderle has qualified to compete in the 3rd annual Junior Citizen Bee state competition—his second consecutive year at the state level! Additionally, Aubrey Mims has been named an alternate for the competition.

The state competition will be held virtually on April 30 and May 1, bringing together top middle school competitors from across Texas.

We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated and wish Silas the best of luck at state!