Wayne County’s three civics bee finalists all finished in the state competition’s top six.
Those three students, Taytem Rivera, Hadley Nutty and Bella Mitchell, were among the 11 finalists from across Indiana competing to represent Hoosiers in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s National Civics Bee.
The state finals took place Wednesday, July 30, at the statehouse in Indianapolis.
For her third-place state finish, Taytem received $250. Hadley earned a spot in the top five, and Bella placed sixth.
Those addressing the students and their supporters included Gov. Mike Braun and Vanessa Sinders, Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO. They encouraged all participants to stay engaged in shaping Indiana’s future.
The competitors’ placements were parallel to the results of April’s county contest, when Taytem, then an eighth grader at Richmond Community Schools’ Hibberd Program Building, won $500 and the opportunity to be Richmond’s “Mayor for a Day.” Second went to Hadley, who attended Northeastern Middle School. Bella, a Hagerstown Jr.-Sr. High School student, came in third.
After submitting essays, 20 Wayne County middle school students and two alternates were selected to participate in the first-round bee at Indiana University East.
After two rounds of multiple-choice questions testing their understanding of civics, government and community issues, county finalists presented topics they had explored in their essays.
Taytem’s essay focused on the importance of protecting birthright citizenship and outlined steps she believes can help support immigration rights in America. Hadley discussed poverty and Bella focused on animal shelters.
This was the second year for the local bee, which is organized by Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re incredibly proud of these young leaders and can’t wait to see how they continue their civic efforts in our shared community!” chamber staff wrote in a news release.
A version of this article appeared in the August 6 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.