Xavier College Prep wins competition at CSUSB Palm Desert Campus

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) - Students from Xavier College Preparatory High School in Palm Desert won the 21st annual Academic World Quest competition, which challenges students' knowledge of world affairs, hosted at Cal State San Bernardino Palm Desert, officials announced today.

Team members MacKenzie Johnson, Haleigh Liles, Luke Macwan and Trey Morrison won first place against eight other Coachella Valley high schools during the Feb. 12 event.

"We had a memorable competition this year,'' Michael Karp, assistant professor of history at PDC and a member of the World Affairs Council of the Desert board of directors, said in a statement.

Participating high schools were Coachella Valley, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Valley, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Shadow Hills and Xavier Prep.

The topic of this year's competition involved migration, immigration, tariffs and trade, the U.S. Constitution, foreign policy and current events.   

Xavier won after five rounds and nearly two hours of competition with a score of 44 out of 50 and will move on to compete against other high schools throughout the country in the National Academic World Quest in April, officials said.

Scholarships were awarded to each student of the top three teams. First-place winners received $300, second place $200 and third place $100.   

Palm Desert High School captured second place and Palm Valley High School took third place following a tie-breaker round with Desert Hot Springs High School.

Certificates of recognition and $25 participation scholarships were given to all participating team members.   

The event was sponsored by World Affairs Council of the Desert, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that fosters understanding of international affairs though programs, discussion and educational outreach, and is part of a national World Affairs Councils of America network.