Timber Ridge Middle School sixth-grader Aisha Chavda won the 2025 National Civics Bee hosted in Orland Park on May 3.
She was one of 13 students who competed in the Bee, hosted by the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Chavda won $500 and will represent Orland Park on July 7 at the Illinois State Civics Bee Finals in Springfield.
Chavda said she was surprised when she won.
“I worked hard, but I was shocked that I won,” she said.
The National Civics Bee is open to sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students in participating states.
One state winner will move on to the national championship in Washington, D.C., in the fall.
Participants compete in a two-part challenge – a live quiz round and an essay presentation judged on policy thinking, civic virtues, and community impact.
The quiz tests students on American history, civic principles, and the Constitution.
Chavda wrote about cyberbullying.
“There is a lot of cyberbullying going around and I don’t like it,” she said.
Chavda said her mom told her about the competition.
“I thought, why not? Let’s try it,” she said.
Chavda, who will be in seventh grade this fall, said she loves history, especially the Renaissance period, Civics, and government.
