WASHINGTON, D.C. (Erie News Now) -- This week, 27 students from across the country were in the nation's capital for the 2024 National Civics Bee Championship, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. 

“It's been really fun. I loved meeting a lot of the other students here,” said Mariya Hoja, a ninth grader at Fairview High School and one of the 27 students who competed in today’s final competition. “I got the chance to represent Pennsylvania here today,” she added. 

Mariya advanced through local competitions and won the state championship in Harrisburg before advancing to the national championship.

Today, after a series of American history trivia questions, Mariya advanced through today’s first round. She was one of ten finalists who had the opportunity to then share their essay about solving a community challenge in front of policy and business leaders from across the country. Mariya's topic was an important one for Erie County: harmful algal blooms (HABs). 

“I kind of also felt supported because I knew that there's so many people back in Erie and Pennsylvania who knew about this issue and who are trying to work to get it to be more well known,” said Mariya. 

Family, friends, as well as state and local business leaders made the trip to watch Mariya flex her trivia, writing and public speaking skills to over 100 in-person attendees at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

“We’re very proud of how she performed. She was able to get to top ten, and it's a big achievement for her,” said Mariya’s mother, Sviatlana Sirash. “She really represents our family, she represents our Fairview community, our school district and Erie County. In addition to that, she represents Pennsylvania on the national stage.” 

“We're very proud that the first Pennsylvania state champion is from Erie County,” said Curtis Jones, the Director of Government Affairs for the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership “We're reengaging and engaging our young people in the importance of civics, civility and their role that they play in the Republican democracy that we cherish,” Jones added. 

The Chamber of Commerce hopes to grow this national competition and empower more students to make a difference in their community while promoting civic engagement. 

“Our system of government and just our strength as communities depends on people being educated and being involved. We have great challenges, but also great opportunities in Pennsylvania to create strong communities, to create a thriving economy. And we need this next generation of Pennsylvania students to carry that mantle and create the Pennsylvania we all want,” said Alex Halper, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. “Watching these kids today, and Maria especially, really gives me a lot of confidence in the future of Pennsylvania and the future of the country,” he added. 

“I think there's a lot of negative stigma when it comes to talking about politics and other things like that. But civics shouldn't really be about politics, it can be about really anything that governs how we live,” said Mariya. “It's really important for the younger generation to understand that and see what impact they can make.” 

Mariya was a top 10 finalist. The National Civics Bee Championship winner from Alaska took home a $100,000 scholarship. You can find more information about the National Civics Bee here.