BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Each year students compete to take the crown at the Kern County Scripps National Spelling Bee. This year's challenging words eliminated students from Monday evening's spelling bee.
There were jitters and hundreds of words spelled, but only one word truly mattered which was win.
John Eoh, is a sixth-grader at Discovery Elementary School in Bakersfield, is Kern County's 2020 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion.
"I felt really excited since like, two years ago I got fifth place. So this time it felt really nice to get first place. I've always wanted to go to nationals," Eoh said.
Following 25 rounds of spelling at the competition held at the Bakersfield City School District on Monday evening, Eoh says he plans to follow similar practice methods for the National Spelling Bee.
"Basically every day my mom or dad they would like give me the word and I would have to spell it," Eoh said. "We would do that every day, and after a while I kind of got the hang of it".
In second place was Katelyn Relucio from Chavez Elementary School, and in third place was Alliza Barrera from Chipman Junior High School.
The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to "help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives," according to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website.
The National Spelling Bee began in 1925, but now named the E.W. Scripps Company assumed leadership over the spelling bee in 1941.
The 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals will be held from May 24th through May 29th in Washington, D.C.
