Can you spell the words that two Merced students won county spelling bee with?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- MCOE held the county spelling bee Dec. 9–10 with 100+ elementary and junior high entrants.
- Akshara Thummala won the elementary division flawlessly
- Aanashra Afrooz won junior high with 'paduasoy’.
Most adults in Merced probably don’t know how to spell “surreptitious” or “paduasoy.” But two Merced students do.
Those were the winning words for two champion spellers at the Merced County Office of Education’s annual spelling bee this week.
The competition was streamed live and is available to watch on the MCOE Youtube page.
More than 100 students from elementary and junior high schools across the county participated in the bee, which was a written competition. The competition was sponsored by Educational Employees Credit Union.
Elementary School Competition
Sixth-grader Akshara Thummala from Merced Scholars Charter School won first place in the elementary competition with the word “surreptitious.”
Thummala completed the competition without misspelling a single word and is the first-ever student from the MCOE school district to win first place.
Thummala described herself as a “bibliophile” and said that through reading, she’s been able to “catch” and learn a lot of words and their spellings.
One of her favorite book series is “Percy Jackson & the Olympians,” and Thummala’s current favorite book is the fifth in the series, though she noted that will likely change as she continues reading.
Thummala recently moved to Merced County from San Ramon and said she likes the staff at Merced Scholars Charter School. As an independent-study student, Thummala visits the school and meets with staff a few times each week. She otherwise works at her own pace at home. As a result of this flexibility, she’s currently studying math at the seventh-grade level.
“We don’t always feel comfortable going on stage,” said Thummala, explaining her preference for written spelling bees. “If we’re sitting down relaxed and writing, it’s not as nerve-wracking.”
Danika Vou from Grasslands Elementary School in Los Banos finished in second place, and Marie Smith from Juniper Elementary School in Atwater finished third.
Junior High Competition
Aanashra Afrooz from Cruickshank Middle School in Merced won first place in the junior high spelling competition. Afrooz, who placed second last year, won this year’s bee with the word “paduasoy.” Trivia buffs may appreciate knowing that paduasoy is a corded silk textile that was used for waistcoats, wedding dresses and christening garments in early modern Europe.
In the junior high competition, Zoe O’Donnell from Hoover Middle School in Merced placed second and Aliyah Bebero from Cruickshank Middle School placed third.
The first- and second-place spellers from each competition will compete in the California State Spelling Bee in the spring. The competition is scheduled for April 25 and will be held at the Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca.
It is likely Afrooz and Thummala will compete against each other then, as the State Spelling Bee is not divided by grade level.
