Fairfield Student Wins National Civics Bee Connecticut State Finals

Aarav Pradeep Sahu, an eighth-grade student at Tomlinson Middle School in Fairfield took first place in the National Civics Bee Connecticut State Finals Saturday, June 7 at the Mark Twain House in Hartford.

With his victory, Sahu advances to the 2025 National Civics Bee in Washington, D.C. Nov. 10, 2025.

“I’m proud to represent Connecticut in the national finals,” said Sahu.

The annual competition is aimed at improving civics education and literacy among middle school students, their families, and communities. 

Sahu narrowly beat Fairfield Woods Middle School’s Arav Kapoor and Vijeesh Senthil Nathan, Hampton Elementary School’s Madison Murphy, Olivia-Lourdes Muhammad from Six to Six Magnet School in Bridgeport, and Summer Savannah Smith from Martin Kellog Middle School in Newington.

“It was months of work that led to this accomplishment,” said Sahu. “It was one of the best moments of this whole year and a jolt of pride.”

The CBIA Foundation for Economic Growth & Opportunity partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, organizer of the National Civics Bee, to host regional bees and the Connecticut State Finals.

“In order to be a good economy, you need to have people that are engaged in their civic community,” said CBIA Foundation director Dustin Nord.

“It starts at an early age to get in terms of getting people to understand how they can impact their communities.”

Modeled on traditional spelling and geography bees, the National Civics Bee gives students the chance to win recognition and earn cash prizes by answering civics-based questions and sharing their ideas for improving their communities. 

Connecticut Education Association president Kate Dias, Amazon manager of public policy Wyatt Bosworth, and Travelers vice president of government relations Courtney Larkin served as judges. 

“They were such impressive young people, and passionate about their topics,” said Larkin.

“These kids are really thinking about how to make the world a better place and leave their mark on it in a really positive and important way,” addded Dias.

NBC Connecticut anchor Mike Hydeck hosted the event. Students also heard from Connecticut State Department of Education deputy commissioner Charles Hewes.

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The National Civics Bee Connecticut State Final is made possible through the generous support of the Travelers Foundation and the Dalio Foundation Inc., Amazon, and Google, with additional support from the Connecticut State Department of Education, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, Connecticut Education Association, Connecticut Democracy Center, and Bridgeport Regional Business Council.

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The National Civics Bee, a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Civic Trust, is an annual competition aimed at improving civics education and literacy among middle school students, their families, and communities. The National Civics Bee helps elevate civics as a national priority through a network of state and local chambers across the country. The National Civics Bee is made possible through the generous support of its founding partner, the Daniels Fund, and other funders.

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The CBIA Foundation for Economic Growth & Opportunity is a 501(c)(3) organization created to address the evolving needs of Connecticut’s economy. The foundation’s primary goal is charting a course for sustained economic growth that drives further predictability and greater opportunity for all Connecticut residents. For more information, please contact Scott Beaulieu (860.244.1929).