WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today met with Narayan Sundararajan, of Shaker Heights, who is representing Ohio in the 2011 National Geographic Bee in Washington. As the Ohio State Geography Bee Champion, Sundararajan, an eighth grade student at Shaker Heights Middle School, is one of only 54 students remaining in the competition, which began with more than 5 million participants nationwide.

Sen. Brown and Narayan Sundararajan “Narayan – due in no small part to his family and teachers – is a fine example of the talented, intelligent, and dynamic young people who call our state home,” Brown said. “Students in Ohio’s schools can compete with anyone as Narayan’s achievements demonstrate. It’s imperative that we invest in Ohio’s schools and ensure our talented students and dedicated teachers have the resources needed to succeed.”

A total of 371 school-level winners in grades four through eight were narrowed to 110 contestants for the state competition, which was held at The Ohio State University Mansfield campus on April 1, 2011.

Since the first National Geographic Bee in 1989, millions of students have competed each year for a U.S. $25,000 college scholarship and the honor of being national champion.

###