Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools March/April 2018 | Page 13

Spelling Bee Winners from Around the District
Daniel Wei
Antioch Elementary Silas Mayer
Rea View Elementary
Xochitl Morales-Rodriguez
Benton Heights Elementary Hannah Rodden
Rock Rest Elementary
Charlotte Bell
Cuthbertson Middle Jasmine Palacio
Rocky River Elementary
Marcus Berrios
East Elementary Sreethan Gajula
Sandy Ridge Elementary
Walker Autry
East Union Middle Daisy Rodriguez Hernandez
Sardis Elementary
Garrett Gainer
Fairview Elementary Mariella Clark
Shiloh Elementary
Max Mendlick
Hemby Bridge Elementary Cash Rushing
South Providence
Jordyn Toryk
Indian Trail Elementary Gabriel Harvey
Stallings Elementary
Dhruva Kritam
Kensington Elementary Sean Pruitt
Sun Valley Elementary
Za’Kharri Lotharp
Marshville Elementary Justin jenkins
Sun Valley Middle
Lily Strumpf
Marvin Elementary Gavin Edwards
Union Elementary
Eva Vega
Marvin Ridge Middle Riley Kiser
Unionville Elementary
Ethan Anderson
Monroe Middle Joshua McBride
Walter Bickett Elementary
Juliana Pascual
New Town Elementary Jackson Leighton
Waxhaw Elementary
Cayden Sims
New Salem Elementary Harini Rajakumar
Weddington Elementary
Issac McGill
Parkwood Middle Renz Joseph
Weddington Middle
Jill Tice
Piedmont Middle Zofia Magda
Wesley Chapel Elementary
Vishruth Katari
Poplin Elementary Riley Likes
Western Union Elementary
Carsten Cooper
Porter Ridge Elementary Conor Sakowicz
Wingate Elementary
Van Helms
Prospect Elementary
Marvin Ridge Middle student edges out competition
in regional spelling bee
On Feb. 19, Marvin Ridge Middle student Eva Vega won the
64th annual Charlotte Observer Regional Spelling Bee. As the 2018
Union County Public Schools Spelling Bee Champion, Eva competed
against 24 contestants from 13 counties in North and South
Carolina, including students from public, private, parochial and
charter schools.
During the spelling bee, the contestants quickly went through
the 300 words provided to them in a study guide, leaving them to
finish the competition with words they may have not encountered.
Eva, who is in the eighth grade, ultimately won the spelling bee
by correctly spelling “stramineous,” which means straw-colored
according to Merriam-Webster.
“I read a lot, and I also read language rules so that it’s not just
guesswork if I get a word I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve seen the
word stramineous before so that helped.”
No stranger to spelling bee competitions, Eva previously won
the 2016 Charlotte Observer Regional Spelling Bee and reached
the fourth round in that year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee
in Washington, D.C. She also came in second in the Charlotte
Observer’s Regional Spelling Bee in 2015 and 2017.
As this year’s winner, Eva will receive an all-expense paid trip
for two to the national Spelling Bee Week in Washington, D.C.,
which will be held May 27 to June 1. She will also receive a trophy,
a Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online Subscription and the Samuel
Louise Sugarman Award.
“It was a pleasant surprise to win,” Eva said. “I’m really proud of
myself for making it this far.”
Marvin Ridge Middle student Eva Vega won the 64th annual
Charlotte Observer Regional Spelling Bee beating out 24 other
contestants from 13 counties in North and South Carolina.
Parent Teacher Magazine • Mar/Apr 2018 • 11