Local Civics Bee Winners 2025

​Richmond, IN — April 25, 2025 — On Friday, April 25, the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce proudly hosted the local round of the National Civics Bee® for the second year in a row. The event, held at Whitewater Hall on the campus of Indiana University East, brought together 20 middle school students and two alternates to showcase their civic knowledge and leadership ideas.

Melissa Vance, President and CEO of the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce, shared her thoughts on the event:
"During a time with a heightened political climate, we more than ever need to teach the next generation how to engage in civics in a healthy way.  These middle school students have learned more about the foundation of our government and used critical thinking skills to identify ways they can impact the community around them. That's a win."
 
Students competed in two fast-paced rounds of multiple-choice questions testing their understanding of civics, government, and community issues. The top five scorers advanced to the final Q&A round, where they presented the topics, they had explored in their submitted essays. This year's finalists were:

• Taytem Rivera, Hibberd
• Brielle Moody, Northeastern Middle School
• Hadley Nutty, Northeastern Middle School
• Elliott Gray, Hagerstown Middle School
• Bella Mitchell, Hagerstown Middle School

In addition to the student competition, the audience also had a chance to test their civic knowledge. The top three scorers received prizes provided by IU East, Purdue Polytechnic, and Ivy Tech Richmond. Taking first place was Mark Blevins, a history teacher from Northeastern. Dr. Matthew Hicks, Northeastern Superintendent, claimed second place, and Matt Hokey, a student participant from Hagerstown, came in third.

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​Each finalist shared a brief overview of their essay topics covering issues from immigration to animal welfare and explained how their chosen problems and proposed solutions connect to the broader definition of civic responsibility. Following their presentations, the judges — Mayor Ron Oler, County Commissioner Jeff Plasterer, and County Council member Cathy Williams — asked thoughtful questions to each student before making their final decision.
After a close competition, the top three students moving on to the Indiana State Civics Bee on July 30, 2025 in Indianapolis are:

• 1st Place – Taytem Rivera, Hibberd: Aiding Immigration
• 2nd Place – Hadley Nutty, Northeastern Middle School: Poverty
• 3rd Place – Bella Mitchell, Hagerstown Middle School: Animal Shelters

Taytem Rivera was named the overall winner of the Wayne County Civics Bee after excelling in both the quiz rounds and the essay presentation. Her essay focused on the importance of protecting birthright citizenship and outlined steps she believes can help support immigration rights in America.

As part of her first-place award, Taytem will also have the unique opportunity to serve as "Mayor for the Day" in the City of Richmond.

Taytem’s teacher at Hibberd, Mr. Andrew Cross, shared his excitement about her win:

"Taytem was outstanding at the Civics Bee last Friday. She brought together a strong passion for civics and helping others with an incredible work ethic and drive to go above and beyond. She demonstrated her deep understanding of civics during the quiz rounds and truly shined in the final round, delivering a powerful summary of her essay on protecting marginalized groups. I’m incredibly proud of her and excited to see what she accomplishes at the state competition this summer."

The Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce extends sincere congratulations to all participants and finalists, and thanks to the judges, families, and community partners who helped make this event a success.

Thank you to the 2025 Local Civics Bee Sponsors:

Red
101.7 the Point
Merchant's Bank of Indiana
Sugar Creek
White
Comfort Suites
Earlham College
Blue
Cochran & Associates
Hoppe Jewelers
IU East
Reid Health
Rick Thomas Masonry
Transcendia