Ray Dai, a junior at Fredonia High School, recently competed in a worldwide competition known as the International Geography Olympiad. The event spanned Aug. 19 to 24, held in Maynooth, Ireland.

“This competition is the best of the best,” Dai said.

More than 180 contestants took part in the event, representing more than 40 countries across the world. “Some people are just there to experience it and have a good time,” Dai said. “… Some people are definitely there to compete.”

In late April, Dai competed in the U.S. Geography Championships in Arlington, Va., where he finished second. In doing so, Dai qualified as one of four members to represent the U.S. in the international event. The other competitors representing the U.S. were Gideon Ong, of College Station, Texas; Daniel Meyer, of Arlington, Va.; and Julian Huang, of New York City.

Pictured are competitors and coaches at the International Geography Olympiad earlier this year.

Medals are given to the higher ranking performers, broken up by several gold medalists, a larger number of silver medalists, and an even more substantial number of bronze medalists. All four placed in the top 30, while Huang placed third overall and took home a gold medal. Dai received a silver medal for his performance.

With all four participants with strong showings, the U.S. took first place by a narrow margin. Dai estimated that the victory was won by two questions. Dai shared that it was the first overall victory for the U.S. since it first entered the competition.

The competition featured a fieldwork exam, where contestants visited the surrounding community to make observations and analyze data. Then came a written portion to formulate a plan to address what was discovered.

Through his time visiting the town of Maynooth, Dai placed an emphasis on relocating bike lanes, increasing accessibility to the train station, and relocating or removing parking lots.

Dai noted the way the competition refers to geography is different from the common assumptions most Americans would make. The competition was more so geared to earth science and economic development, including climate change and natural disasters. Some of the questions he posed touched on topics like permafrost and economic impact on host cities for the Olympics.

Another aspect of the competition focused on analyzing visuals from various forms of media to draw conclusions. Dai explained how a picture of a field was presented and he was tasked with identifying its use, as well as graphs of population data with the task of identifying which would be more suitable for tourism development for the elderly.

“It sounds easy, but it’s really not,” Dai said.

Dai, who is 16 years old, had competed in many competitions throughout the years, but none to the stage of an international championship event. He was excited, but also unsure of what to expect going into it, especially as one of the younger competitors at the event.

Dai has been interested in geography since childhood. He participated in his school geography bee from fourth grade through its cancellation. He credits Fredonia Middle School Teacher Emily Klein for introducing him to the international competition, which he then set his sights on.

“The most important lesson has been to keep going and persevere,” Dai said, noting he received a lot of support from the school along the way. Explaining what helped him persevere, Dai said, “At the end of the day, it’s really my passion for this subject. I’ve already made it so far. It really is an honor to be at this stage of a competition.”

Dai hopes to compete in the Geography Olympiad again next year. Looking further down the road, Dai hopes to pursue a degree in Data Science or Environmental Science to apply his passion for geography toward real life solutions.

The Fredonia Central School District prides itself on helping students become their greatest self, and Dai is a shining example of that focus. While his teammates representing the United States all come from elite, big city schools, Dai was proud that he reached the same stage while coming from a small school and community like Fredonia.

“I was definitely proud that I made it, just because I am from a small town where, generally, people don’t really go to a national competition at all,” Dai said. “… Even though we’re from small towns and we might not have the best educational resources, we definitely still have the potential to make it big.”