Students From Connecticut, N. Carolina, and Virginia Win AAA Travel Challenge

    ORLANDO, Fla.--May 12, 2003--Students from Connecticut, North Carolina, and Virginia matched geography wits with more than 5,000 high school students from across the country and came out on top in the AAA Travel High School Challenge. The winners each won $25,000 scholarships for being on the first-place team in the finals of the national geography contest, held this past weekend in Orlando, Fla.
    The three first-place finishers were: Felix Peng, 16, from Guilford, Conn., a junior at Guilford H.S.; Alex Smith, 14, from Burlington, N.C., a freshman at Williams H.S.; and Steve Young, 16, from Reston, Va., a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
    The AAA Travel High School Challenge tests students' knowledge of U.S. and world geography, with an emphasis on travel and tourist destinations.
    The national finals brought together champions from all 50 states and the District of Columbia for a written exam and game show-style playoffs to determine the national winners. Each state winner had already won a $1,000 scholarship and a trip for two to Orlando to compete in the national contest.
    "All of our state champions have a remarkable knowledge of geography that should take them far in school, work, and life in general," said Sandra Hughes, AAA Travel vice president. "The AAA Travel Challenge is a way to recognize and reward these students for their geography knowledge, while encouraging other youngsters to follow in their tracks."
    Members of the second-place team, each of whom won $10,000 scholarships, were: John Solter, 18, from Prairie Village, Kan., a senior at Shawnee Mission East H.S.; Kellie Packwood, 18, from Martinsville, Ind., a senior at Martinsville H.S.; and David Beihl, 17, from Saluda, S.C., a senior who is home schooled.
    Surveys consistently show American students lag behind their global peers in their knowledge of geography and world events. The contest seeks to raise students' interest in geography by focusing, in part, on one aspect that captures many students' interest: travel and tourism destinations. As a leader in the travel industry, AAA depends on geography-savvy employees to serve its members and travel agency customers.
    The AAA Travel High School Challenge awarded $156,000 in scholarships courtesy of the Hogan Family Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes a greater understanding of the importance of travel and tourism. Additional sponsors include: Continental Airlines, Holland America Line, Marriott, MBNA America, Pleasant Holidays, and Universal Orlando.
    As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides 46 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.