St. Mary’s Catholic School student Aria Tercek wins Montana’s Inaugural Civics Bee. Her next stop is Washington, D.C., to compete for the National Civics Bee Title.

St. Mary’s Catholic School Principal Melissa Beitel is busy preparing for the first day of school on August 28. Still, she may have to set aside a few moments of her day to welcome a new student to her school and the first Montana Civics Bee Champion, Aria Tercek.

Aria Tercek won Montana’s inaugural Civics Bee on Tuesday. In November, she will compete against 30 other state winners for the National Civics Bee Title in Washington, D.C.

Aria outlasted other finalists in the Civics Bee statewide contest on Tuesday in Lewistown. The contest began in January with a pen and paper and Aria’s thoughts about helping protect Park County wildlife from reckless drivers. She found that from 2012 to 2023, 1,685 wildlife animal deaths were killed by automobiles between Gardiner and Livingston. She was determined to find a solution.