Kent student takes second in Civics Bee competition
Published 8:55 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026
A Cedar Heights Middle School student, of the Kent School District and representing the Kent Chamber of Commerce, placed second in the 2026 National Civics Bee Washington finals June 20 in Olympia.
Manraj Uppal won $500 for taking second against other middle schoolers, according to a June 22 Association of Washington Business press release. Cedar Heights is at 19640 SE 272nd St., in Covington, part of the Kent School District.
Calista Christiansen, a seventh-grade homeschool student from the Columbia River Gorge community of Lyle, won the first place prize of $1,000. She will compete this fall representing Washington in the National Civics Bee Championship in Washington D.C.
The National Civics Bee statewide competition began with an essay contest challenging middle school students to propose a solution to a problem facing their community. Top essay writers advanced to regional competitions hosted by the Kent Chamber, Greater Vancouver Chamber, Stilly Valley Chamber (Arlington) and Kittitas County Chamber (Ellensburg) this spring. The top finishers moved on to the statewide finals.
The 12 state finalists were from Everett, Spokane, Vancouver, Arlington, Kent and Yakima County. Other students representing the Kent Chamber regional competition were Aditya Kamath, who attends Inglewood Middle School in Sammamish, and Raina Kim, who attends International School in Bellevue.
During the state championship, students competed in two rounds of live quiz questions on American government, the U.S. Constitution, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. The top five finalists advanced to a final round, where they pitched their ideas for civic improvement based on their essays.
The National Civics Bee, an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, inspires young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. The competition expanded to all 50 states this year.
This is the fourth year the Association of Washington Business (AWB) Institute has hosted the event in partnership with local chamber partners and the chamber foundation. AWB is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association representing all sectors of business
