<bt>Naren Tallapragada, a 13-year-old seventh grader at Nysmith School in Herndon, won first place at the Virginia State Geographic Bee, which took place on April 2 in Norfolk. Naren moved on to represent Virginia in the National Geographic Bee during the week of May 24-28 in Washington, D.C. Naren has participated in the Virginia State Bee since 2001 and has placed second and third in previous years.
In school, Naren is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. He has won awards for his efforts in Mathcounts (international mathematics competition) and his school's science fairs. Naren has also been published in many young writers' magazines including Fragments. He has traveled to Europe and enjoyed the Renaissance architecture and artwork in Italy. For hobbies, Naren listens to music and plays the piano to relax. Naren is the son of Mr. Ravi and Dr. Jyotsna Tallapragada of Burke.