A Westwood fifth grader earned top honors at a national academic competition this week in Orlando, Florida, where nearly 2,000 students from across the country comp
eted in a variety of quiz-based events. The student attends Downey School in Westwood.
Brandon Lee, a fifth-grade student from Westwood, placed second nationally in the American History Exam, fifth in the American History Bee, and sixth in the Science Bee at the 2026 International Academic Competitions (IAC) Elementary & Middle School National Championships, held May 21–25 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando.
Lee also earned national recognition at the 2025 championships, placing second in the American History Exam and sixth in the Science Bee.
The annual IAC National Championships bring together top-performing elementary and middle school students from across the United States to compete in history, science, geography, and other academic events. Students qualify for the national competition through regional tournaments held nationwide.
This year’s championship events included the History Bee, Science Bee, Geography Bee, Academic Bowl competitions, and subject-specific exams.
Lee’s performance placed him among the top academic competitors in the country for his age group and highlighted Westwood students’ growing presence in national academic competitions.
