The 17th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 25, 2005, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.[1] The winner was Nathan Cornelius, a homeschooled student from Cottonwood, Minnesota, who won a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The 2nd-place winner, Karan Takhar of the Gordon School in East Providence, Rhode Island, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Samuel Brandt of Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene, Oregon, won a $10,000 scholarship.[2]