The University of Nevada, Reno's Honors Program and the Northern Nevada International Center cosponsored the third annual regional Academic WorldQuest Competition at the Joe Crowley Student Union January 30.

Daniel Villanueva, assistant director of the Honors Program, sees the competition as a great way for high school students to showcase their knowledge of global issues.

"Academic WorldQuest is one of those things that people like me wish had been around back when we were in high school," Villanueva said. "It's just so exciting to see so many young people so interested in world affairs, and who know so much about what's going on in the world, from China, to Oman, to the Arctic."

Growing steadily, this year's regional competition had 12 teams, as opposed to the four and nine teams that participated during the first two years. The local contestants included high school students from the Reno-Sparks area as well as a team from Northern California.

This year's local winners, representing the Davidson Academy, will face-off against teams nationwide at the national AWQ competition in Washington, D.C.

Organized by the World Affairs Councils of America, the national AWQ competition has been held each April for the past 15 years. While in Washington, contestants will also visit museums and monuments in our nation's capital and have the opportunity to meet international leaders during receptions and tours.

According to Villanueva, the Honors Program sponsors this event because it is a great way for the University to connect with quality students who are enthusiastic about their education. At minimum, four participants of AWQ end up applying to the Honors Program each year. Two past competitors who are now Honors students helped run the event this year.

"The University is such a great place to host a contest like this because of our great faculty and students who are so globally-minded, and it really reinforces all the wonderful international resources we have in the community," Villanueva said. "Honors has a great relationship with the Davidson Academy, and having this year's winning team come from there is another way to strengthen that bond."