Alaska middle-schooler claims victory, $100K as winner of first-ever National Civics Bee

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – An Anchorage middle-schooler took home a big trophy and a major wad of cash this week in a historic moment in the nation’s capital.

Romig Middle School eighth-grader Emily Brubaker took home an inaugural victory and a hefty monetary prize of $100,000 after the first National Civics Bee competition.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the National Civics Bee was designed to inspire student interest in civics, with Tuesday’s inaugural National Civics Bee taking place in Washington, D.C.

Following her win in the statewide Alaska Bee in June, Brubaker and her parents headed for the capitol, along with 27 other young, civic-minded Americans.

Finalists showcased their knowledge with team challenges, presentations, and a buzzer round; the winner was ultimately decided with a final cumulative score.

With the commotion of the competition, Brubaker said she wasn’t certain if she was in first, or if her fellow contestant Michael O’Mara from Iowa would take it.

“I was so nervous, because after that fourth round — the buzzer round, where I had tied with Michael — I wasn’t sure if I even had a chance or not,” Brubaker said. “They announced the third-place winner, Keith from New Mexico, and then the second-place winner, Michael from Iowa, and then they brought out the CEO of the Daniels fund to announce the first-place winner.

“When it was me, I actually started crying on camera.”

Brubaker says she was shocked upon hearing the announcement.

She walked onstage and was handed a larger-than-life check while streamers popped out of cannons.

“There was just a moment where it clicked, like she could really win this, you know, she could actually maybe win it,” Brubaker’s father, Brian Brubaker said.

He said watching his daughter practice and perfect her speech made him proud.

Each contestant in the Bee chose a subject for a public address. Some contestants chose civic issues like gun violence or voting, but Brubaker chose a matter closer to her heart.

Born with a genetic anomaly called ectodermal dysplasia — a disorder that affects hair, skin, sweat glands and teeth — Brubaker said she has been an advocate for the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act since she was six years old.

The ELSA act would require private insurance companies to cover services to improve the lives of people born with genetic anomalies, like ectodermal dysplasia.

Brubaker, who expects she will eventually face large amounts of dental work related to her diagnosis, believes her advocacy will greatly improve the lives of people who share her experience should ELSA pass.

“We need more advocates like you who can help get this bill passed, which can not only affect my life, but also, like many people’s lives around the country,” Brubaker said. “Even though this bill would affect the minority, it would greatly impact the lives of certain individuals.”

Brubaker departed the capitol with a winning title and a sizeable prize. She said she intends to use the $100,000 in a 529 Plan (which covers tuition or other higher education expenses) to attend MIT.

Brubaker says while she’s “only” 14, she’d like to work as a satellite and spacecraft programmer at NASA.

Her father believes her success at the Civics Bee is a relief, and removes some of the pressure families like theirs might face when their child requires more medical care than others.

“Her teeth impacts are not as bad as some other folks who have ectodermal dysplasia, but we haven’t yet had to do a lot of dental work,” Brian Brubaker said. ”It’s going to come soon, and we’ll have to do what we have to do, but for a lot of families, it’s choosing between putting money in their college fund or helping get started in life, or doing their getting their teeth done.”

The 2024 National Civics Bee only included 27 contestants, each representing a single state. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce plans to continue boosting its competition, currently intending to have all 50 states represented in 2026 for the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.