The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, served as a site for friendly competition and educational fun, as a group of 29 students competed for the number-one spot in the 2024 Prince George’s County Spelling Bee on March 1.
Presented by The Washington Informer and Washington Informer Charities, each year, the winner of Prince George’s bee is given a chance to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The nationwide bee is also held in Maryland, at National Harbor’s Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.
“We wanted to make sure our children and our schools are represented in the national bee,” Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes told the crowd filled with students, teachers, family and friends, sponsors, and even local leaders such as Prince George’s State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. “The experience and the exposure is very important for our children’s development. Thanks to our sponsors and the State’s Attorney for coming out.”
Event sponsors included Washington Gas, Pepco, Comcast, Safeway Foundation, Education Systems Federal Credit Union, FAME – Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education, the Prince George’s Office of the State’s Attorney, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, and Sign A Rama Silver Spring.
Longtime local weather reporter and Baltimore’s “It’s Academic” host Dave Zahren served as the moderator — requesting contestants to spell out words each round.
The first word of the contest was “apology,” and the next was “astonish.”
The first misspelled words included “quirky” and “gizzard.” “Obscure” was misspelled in the second round, followed by “lumbar” and “stupefy.” By the third round, roughly a dozen students were left. Event organizer Chauka Reid brought out the final 11 contestants after a short rest break for the fourth round.
After the word “hagiographer” was misspelled in the seventh round, the remaining contestants were given an opportunity to try again.
St. Mary of the Assumption seventh grader Victoria McFetridge spelled “limbed” correctly in the ninth round, and then successfully spelled “adieu” to secure her spot in the Scripps bee.
“It feels incredible winning, and I owe all credit to God,” said Victoria just after securing the victory and while surrounded by family and friends. “I am planning to practice extensively, and to work on my nerves.”
She said persistence and maximum effort were the ingredients to her recent success, and the keys to winning future spelling bees.
Kenmoor Middle School eighth grader John Johnson secured the second place spot, taking home a trophy and gift bags after multiple rounds of overtime.
All participants were given gift bags from the sponsors, and the winner and runner-up were also given gift cards alongside their trophies.
Win or Lose, Contestants Gain Valuable Skills During Bee Prep
Despite there only being first and second places in the competition, other contestants still felt like hard-working winners in the end.
Despite not winning, Nonso Ezunagu of Beltsville’s Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School is proud of all she learned in preparing for the competition, with guidance from her teacher and support from her family.
“I can now spell dysfunction, indubitably, and dysmorphia,” Nonso told The Informer.
Shayla Ashkar of M&M Academy also can’t believe the progress she’s made since she began practicing for the bee.
“I have used the Apple word club and I practiced half of the student dictionary,” said Shayla. “When I first heard the word ‘onomatopoeia’ I never thought I could spell it, but now I can.
Previously winning a spelling bee encouraged William Wirt’s Assiatu Sankoh to enter the competition.
“I was inspired after I won my mom a 32-inch TV in a spelling bee contest at my school,” said Assiatu. “My mom and my dad and sister have encouraged my participation. They got me the Scripps study list to help prepare me for this.”
Sponsors, Judges, Local Leaders Offer Words of Wisdom
Pepco Manager of Corporate and Social Responsibility Ralph Bolton, A. Toni Lewis, founder and CEO of Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education (FAME), and former Bowie Health Center manager of administrative services Helen Knowles served as the panel of judges.
Despite artificial intelligence services, Bolton told the students he uses reading and writing skills daily.
“It gives me a better ability to be able to manage situations, to communicate with others properly, to operate day-to-day functions within my job,” said Bolton. “It’s a vital function, my job is reliant on my reading and writing abilities. A lot of the technology can guide you wrong, so it’s important to be able to process yourself. That starts with education.”
School Board Vice Chair Lolita E. Walker (D-District 9) served as a motivational speaker during the spelling bee, offering words of encouragement before the scholars stepped to the stage.
“Reading and writing are the foundation of success in life, in work, in home and in school,” explained Walker, whose son attended the event with her and plans on participating in the bee next year. “Reading is the gateway to explore the endless possibilities in the world. It’s an expression of creativity, that can take you to lands that you didn’t even know existed. You’ll be surprised at the narrative that you can create. Information is power, and reading skills are pivotal to access that information”
Braveboy, a “proud product” of Prince George’s County Public Schools and graduate of the University of Maryland, offered encouragement to both the students and their families.
“Tonight is not just about the kids on the stage; it’s about the possibility for all of our kids to achieve greatness. The kids are anchored by you: the parents, the aunts, the uncles, the grandparents.”