Geography takes student to Turkey

Wentworth College student Sophie Ogden will represent New Zealand in an international geography competition in Istanbul, Turkey, in August.

The week long International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) will see students aged 16 to 19, from 40 countries, go head-to-head in geography related tasks.

“I haven’t travelled much before, so I am really excited to go to Istanbul,” Sophie, who is in Year 13, says.

“I almost didn’t submit the application essay because I didn’t think it was good enough – I am so glad now that I did.”

Sophie’s initial application was recognised as one of the top eight in New Zealand, which granted her a spot at a Wellington competition last October. From there, four geographers, including Sophie, were selected for the iGeo New Zealand team.

The team will have to complete tasks including a written exam and a multi-choice multi-media quiz.

There is also a field work component, where participants are sent to an area and asked to assess what services and facilities should be put there, based on a number of factors.

The competition’s broad content makes it difficult to prepare for, but Wentworth’s geography teacher Michael LaPierre is confident in Sophie’s abilities.

“Sophie’s intuitive feel for geography is evident, and her knowledge and maturity will be of use to the New Zealand team,” he says.