Queen Creek student wins third in state civics bee

By Janet Perez
Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia

A student from Queen Creek placed third in the state round of the National Civics Bee.

Gideon Joffe, who attends Payne Junior High School in the Chandler Unified School District, qualified for the state competition after winning first place in the regional round hosted by the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce.

Joffe won $250 for placing third in the state round hosted on June 10 by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry at Grand Canyon University.

Shaurya Arora of Gilbert won first place and $1,100, and Collin Thorstensen of Mesa took second and won $500.

The chamber partners with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to bring the regional National Civics Bee to the area.

The National Civics Bee begins with a written essay and culminates in live events at the regional, state and national levels. A total of 16 students earned a spot in the Queen Creek chamber’s regional live competition.

The competition — expanded to all 50 states in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary — invites middle school students to showcase their civics knowledge, engage in their communities and build trust in others and institutions through a nonpartisan, multi-round competition, according to a chamber press release.

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Janet Perez
News Editor | Queen Creek & San Tan Valley

jperez@iniusa.org

Meet Janet
Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State  University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.

Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.

Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science. 

Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.  

Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.