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Ludowici boy in memory contest
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A Ludowici fifth-grader is on a voyage to become a national memory champion and earn a $10,000 grand prize.

Obadiah Nielsen, 10, of Ludowici is one of 16 finalists in the National Memory Master competition. The three rounds of academic memory testing are being held during a five-day cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival cruise ship Victory. Each of the finalists received two free tickets to the cruise and $800 in traveling money.

“I am very excited to be an NMM finalist,” Nielsen said. “I plan on studying diligently for the competition, but I’m also looking forward to the food and maybe some snorkeling while on the cruise!”

The 16 finalists have already been through a series of local and regional competitions to reach the finals. Nielsen’s presentation to reach this point focused on the sovereignty of God throughout the Middle Ages.

The National Memory Master competition is hosted by Classical Conversations, an education resource used by homeschoolers in all 50 states and 14 foreign countries. Classical Conversations now has more than 93,000 students enrolled.

Nielsen attends a Classical Conversations community in Ludowici. He is the son of Andrew and Amanda Nielsen and the oldest of seven children. He is finishing his sixth year as a CC student.

He said he enjoys studying history and pursues scientific inquiry independent of school. This past year, he played recreation league football. He spends most of his free time outside, but enjoys cooking and reading, as well as fixing things for his mother while his father is deployed to Romania with the U.S. Army. Nielsen is also part of the children’s choir at his church, First Baptist of Ludowici.

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