From the small village of Craghead in England to the city of Toledo, Jacob Davinson has come a long way to study geography.
Now, he will be traveling even further to Honolulu for the 2024 American Association of Geographers meeting, where he will be representing UToledo in the East Lakes Division at the Geography Bowl. The competition has nine teams of six people competing in pairs against one another. The teams and individuals are scored by answering specific geography questions in a variety of rounds, where the champion, runner-up, and individual top scorers will be awarded.
Jacob Davinson, who is in the UToledo-Salford exchange program, took a trip to New York’s Times Square.
“I didn’t expect to be chosen,” Davinson said. “This is such a great chance to see somewhere I never thought I would be able to visit in my year here.”
A student in the University of Salford, Manchester, England, Davinson is pursuing a degree in environmental geography with studies in the United States.
Since 1984, The University of Toledo has participated in an exchange program with the University of Salford for a select few majors, but only recently has it opened to geography students. Davinson is just the second geography major to utilize The UToledo-Salford exchange program.
“I was looking for a geography course that sounded good to me and was practical with a year in the U.S. and which was also affordable, as many programs have ridiculous fees to go abroad and study,” Davinson said. “The UToledo-Salford exchange program was really one of the very few choices with a year in the United States that did not extend your degree.”
Davinson has visited many places, from New York to Houston, but what drew him most to the United States were the sports.
“I watched almost all of the Toledo football games and was impressed with how good their record was in the end, and saw quite a few basketball games as well,” he said. “I have also been to the Toledo Walleye and the Mudhens in downtown Toledo and I would recommend that to any international students, as that is very different to hockey in the U.K.”
Seeking new experiences, Davinson signed up for the East Lake Division of the AAG meeting in Maumee Bay last October, where he shared his essay about his favorite English football (soccer) team.
“I decided I would sign up to gain some experience and try something new that seemed intimidating to me,” he said. “My presentation was about the environmental impact of the Sunderland Association Football Club, and how football clubs can be more environmentally sustainable in the future.”
Environmental geography student Jacob Davinson making his winning presentation at the East Lakes Division of the American Association of Geographers.
Davinson won the second-place award in the best undergraduate presentation competition.
Dr. Patrick Lawrence, a professor in and chair of the Department of Geography and Planning, who introduced Davinson to the opportunity, said he is “an excellent student who has also participated in many academic, professional development and social events we regularly organize for our majors and graduate students.”
Davinson also participated in the selection for the regional team to compete in the World Geography Bowl to be held at the 2024 AAG Annual meeting in Honolulu. After taking a 50-question quiz, he was one of eight members selected for the opportunity.
“The meeting was a great experience, and the national meeting is such a great opportunity which I was not expecting before I came here,” Davinson said. “I would also just like to thank Dr. Lawrence and everyone in the department who could not have been any more flexible and understanding throughout the whole year. They always put the students first.”
The Geography Bowl will be held on Thursday, April 18.
