Nine high schools from the Coachella Valley participated in the 21st annual Academic WorldQuest competition held on February 12 at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus. The event was organized by Michael Karp, assistant professor of history at the Palm Desert Campus and a member of the World Affairs Council of the Desert board.
“We had a memorable competition this year,” said Karp. “We had a number of family and friends supporting schools, and as always, dozens of volunteers gave their time to make the event happen. I think everyone present will remember Bryson Freeman deciding to compete for Indio by himself, as the rest of his team could not make it. On top of that, he won this year’s Most Improved Award for Indio High on his own. From our top three winners to all the students who spend months studying global history and affairs — Bryson’s tenacity and spirit are what WorldQuest is all about.”
Xavier College Preparatory High School took first place with team members MacKenzie Johnson, Haleigh Liles, Luke Macwan, Trey Morrison, and Coach Tonya Carr. Palm Desert High School finished second with Sareen Bhakta, Liya Kakar, Yatharth Mahajan, Sophie Tran and Coach Tricia Lizza. Third place went to Palm Valley School after a tiebreaker round with Desert Hot Springs High School; their team included Zander Eaton, Shayan Habibipour, Evan Wang, Pip Watson and Coach Vahe Oksazian.
The Xavier College Prep team achieved a score of 44 out of 50 over five rounds lasting nearly two hours. They will advance to represent their school in the National Academic WorldQuest competition scheduled for April 27-28.
Scholarships were awarded: $300 per student for first place teams; $200 for second; $100 for third. The Maddie and Dr. Tom Headrick Most Improved Award—totaling $400—was presented to Indio High School freshman Bryson Freeman for competing solo.
Other participating high schools included Coachella Valley High School, La Quinta High School, Palm Springs High School and Shadow Hills High School. All participants received certificates of recognition and $25 participation scholarships.
Karp chaired the event committee with assistance from Kim Burge, Lisa Corbin, Tom Headrick, Charles Porter, Priscilla Porter, Yul Roe, Paula Sinclair, Karen Speros and Tux Tuxhorn. Edna Martinez (associate vice president at Palm Desert Campus) and Jim McFarlin (acting president/chairman of World Affairs Council of the Desert) opened proceedings by welcoming attendees.
Sponsors included Anderson Children’s Foundation; Auen Foundation; City of Palm Desert; Priscilla and Charles Porter Charitable Trust; Walter Clark Legal Group.
The Academic WorldQuest is sponsored by World Affairs Council of the Desert as a team-based challenge testing students’ knowledge on subjects such as Migration/Immigration Policy; Tariffs/Trade; U.S. Constitution/Foreign Policy; Belt & Road Initiative; Current Events.
For further information about Academic WorldQuest or CSUSB Palm Desert Campus programs—which offer undergraduate/graduate degrees focused on academic excellence—the public may visit www.csusb.edu/pdc or contact Mike Singer in Marketing & Communications at [email protected] or (760) 341-2883 ext. 78107.
In related community efforts across Coachella Valley cities such as Cathedral City, Coachella, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert ,Palm Springs ,and Rancho Mirage,the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber works to promote economic vitality through tourism initiatives and local events that connect residents.
Additionally,the chamber supports area businesses via advocacy work—offering networking opportunities , educational resources , leadership training , business directories , referral support ,and fostering partnerships among companies , government bodies ,and stakeholders—all aimed at regional growth.
