Havre 4th-grader to compete at state geography bee

Nine-year-old Andrew Padgett of Kelsey Ward's fourth-grade class at Sunnyside Intermediate School likes Kansas, math, history and the Constitution.

Andrew says he's more than 9; he's 9 and 5/12s. He explained how he got the 5/12s as his legs nervously fidgeted back and forth.

Math is not the only thing Andrew is good at. It turns out geography know-how runs in the family. His 11-year-old sister, Stephanie, was the geography winner at Sunnyside last year. Andrew is the winner this year, and he'll be going to the State Geography Bee April 1 in Billings. He'll be the only fourth-grader competing against other qualifiers from the state from fifth- through eighth-grade.

Andrew's mother, Vicki, said Andrew has been studying math and geography since he was 3 years old. Andrew, Vicki said, knows in what order each state joined the union. He works hard and loves to learn new things, she said.

Although "Wizard of Oz" takes place in his favorite state, Kansas, where he spent the first six years of his life, it's not his favorite movie. He's not sure what his favorite movie is. Andrew accompanies all his "I don't knows" with shoulder shrugs.

"How did you get so good at geography?"

Shrug.

"Do you know where every country is?"

Shrug.

"What's your favorite movie?"

Shrug.

"What's so interesting about the Constitution?"

Shrug.

"Are you ready to have a picture taken for the paper?"

He said OK and sprinted to the library.

Vicki said Andrew is shy.

Vicki said both parents haven't overly considered career options for Andrew. She said Andrew had talked about running for president when he grows up.

"He doesn't like the way things are heading," she said.