Cole Morelli was named Reed Intermediate School’s National Geographic Geography Bee champion after multiple rounds of the competition at the school in January.

Now the sixth grader has learned he passed a test to place him in the semifinals of the 2014 Connecticut State Geographic Bee, which will be held at Central Connecticut State University on Friday, April 4.

After taking the test Cole said this week, “I felt pretty confident that I was going to pass.”

Since January, Cole said he has been studying through the National Geographic Geography Bee website, www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee.

Cole said when he attends the 2014 Connecticut State Geographic Bee he will take a preliminary test, and if he passes that test he will take part in the competition portion of the state level of the bee.

Cole said he is nervous, but he also said he is studying more to feel prepared for the state level of the competition. He also said his parents, Kim and Brian Morelli, will go with him to the state competition.

He also said he likes studying for the National Geographic Geography Bee because, “I like to learn new things about geography… and I like the competition.”

According to the National Geographic Society, the state winner will receive $100, the “Complete National Geographic on DVD,” and a trip to Washington, DC, to represent Connecticut in the National Geography Bee finals, which will be held May 19 to 21 at the National Geographic Society headquarters. The national winner, according to the society, will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the society, and an all-expense-paid trip to the Galápagos Islands.