Columbia Middle School Student Achieves ‘Regional Triple Crown’ Earning Gold Medals in Science, History and Geography Bees

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ - Columbia Middle School seventh grade student Ritvik Bhandari recently achieved an extraordinary Regional Triple Crown by winning gold medals in the Science Bee, History Bee, and Geography Bee. This remarkable accomplishment highlights his excellence across all three disciplines and has qualified him for both the National Competition and upcoming international events. Ritvik additionally won "Best Delegate" in Model United Nations this past weekend in the Security Council Reform category, emphasizing his commitment to learning. Over the past year, Ritvik has earned a total of six regional medals. His latest three gold medals add to a previous Science Bee gold from Pennsylvania earlier this year, along with a silver and bronze from prior History Bee competitions, demonstrating both consistency and continued growth at a high level.Later this month, Ritvik will travel to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the National Competition across all three categories. In addition, his strong performances have qualified him for three upcoming international events, further solidifying his status as a top competitor in these academic areas.* 2026: Geography International Olympiad in Thailand* 2027: History International Olympiad in Berlin* 2028: Science International Olympiad in Washington, D.C.According to Mr. Austin Wang, CMS Math Teacher and advisor to the History and Geography Club, who helped Ritvik prepare for competition, “Ritvik is someone who dreams big and goes for the gold even when chances are small. I first brought up the opportunity to compete during one of the History & Geography Club meetings. Many students took the qualifying tests, but Ritvik was the only one to follow through and go for Regionals. Other students said that it was unlikely any of them could win in a regional competition, but over a weekend, Ritvik proved them wrong.”Mrs. Donna Bokach, CMS Social Studies Teacher, and Ms. Sophia Miskulin, CMS Science Teacher, reiterated, “Ritvik is a hard-working student who has a true passion for these subjects and is always excited about learning.” The Bhandari family shared, “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Mr. Wang for helping Ritvik run the History and Geography Club, and to Ms. Bokach and Ms. Miskulin for encouraging and cultivating his interest in these subjects. These wonderful teachers deserve much credit for igniting this spark in Ritvik.”