Easton Paul, 13, was the sole Nebraskan to compete in the International Geography Championships this past summer. The eighth-grader traveled out of the country for the first time, competing in Vienna, Hungary, and Slovakia.
An attendee of Aspen Creek Middle School, Easton became interested in geography in sixth grade, when a teacher challenged him to identify several world flags around the classroom and he passed with flying colors. Taking immediate interest in becoming a flag expert, Easton did all he could to sharpen his skills through online quizzes and other internet sources. With 195 existing countries in the world today, this was no easy task. Soon his YouTube algorithm was full of historical information about different countries and parts of the globe, such as the fact that Java, a single island in Indonesia, has a greater population than the entire continent of Russia.
“I was on a Quiz Bowl team at school, and the format of that is similar to the Geography Championships,” Easton said of how he got his start in the competition. “Then I took online quizzes from that to qualify for regional competitions.” The top 50% of scores qualify. Easton scored an 88 out of 100. The qualifying competition for the region was held in Grand Island, Nebraska. Easton was not only a qualifier, but placed third in the competition, which put him in the top 25% and qualified him for the international championships.
“I use a couple online tools and made myself a little study guide, where I’ll go through Canada and say ‘Ok, I have to know every province in Canada,’ and then I’ll go through cities and mountains and stuff like that,” Easton explained. “And then I just go to the next country. So I’ll go down to the U.S., and then I’ll go down to Mexico and do the same thing.” With questions that have very specific answers, this method of study is necessary for Easton to excel.
On July 10, Easton and his mother, Brandi, flew out of Omaha and headed to Vienna.
“We had an incredible experience and saw a lot, but he also put a lot of work in…he had one day where he went 11 hours straight in a competition,” Brandi said. “They gave us four tests on what’s called a ‘battery exam,’” Easton recalled. “We’d have to answer 400 questions and they gave us half an hour for each of the packets. So we stayed in there a while.” The questions of such a grueling competition include not only physical placement of cities and structures, but also geopolitical and historical issues involving certain countries or cultures.
Events also included some team competitions. “Since he didn’t really have a team, since he was the only kid from Nebraska, they partnered him with a young man from Iowa and a young man from Colorado for Team Great Plains,” Brandi said. “They did awesome together, they made a fantastic team!” Team Great Plains pulled through to secure second place in the world.
The Omaha community roared with support for Easton and his international adventure. “He walked around the school like a rock star,” Brandi said with a beaming smile. “Teachers and principals, everyone congratulated him, and even the head football coach at Gretna East tweeted when we were there, ‘Way to go, Easton, we’re so proud of you!’ A lot of times you don’t see that—a huge sports figure recognizing a kid who’s excelling in academics, and that really means a lot.” Chancellor Li at UNO even sent a care package full of T-shirts, bracelets to give out in Vienna, and other UNO swag, knowing Easton is a big fan of Maverick hockey. “We weren’t the only ones so proud to see him waving that Nebraska flag all by himself.”
As for Easton’s future, it’s wide open. College major options are “still on the table,” as he puts it, but his solid academic foundation and prowess is sure to land him in a prosperous position.
Easton’s father, Brian, summed up his son’s passion in one sentence: “Most kids have sports posters on their walls—he has world maps.”
To learn more about the International Geography Championships, visit geochampionships.com.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.