Natalia Cassim is entertaining notions of becoming an information technology professional after high school and college.
That might not be all that much of a challenge.
After all, the eighth-grader from St. Francis Central School successfully linked up a linguistic program in her brain Wednesday afternoon.
The occasion was the 2023 Spelling Bee for Monongalia County Schools.
Natalia nailed “installation,” to take the top trophy in the contest, with 15 other competitors from across the district, plus one more from a private school, like she.
Brookhaven Elementary was represented by Regina Mamboleo. Mason Bossio was also there, as the previous champion of Cheat Lake Elementary.
Alexandra Baniak, Lane Chaney and Elijah Snyder spelled their way in from the elementary schools of Eastwood, Mason-Dixon and Mountainview, respectively.
Also qualifying in the elementary school rounds prior were Ursula Fowler, of Mylan Park; Nolan Culp, of North; Mila Otto, of Ridgedale; Elyssa Knotts, of Skyview; and Grant Hayes, from Suncrest Elementary.
Corey Keith Roberts bested the field earlier at Clay-Battelle. Khloe Smith and Ebon Blake brought earlier ribbons from their schools of South Middle and Westwood Middle.
Sean Nash was Mountaineer Middle’s representative – and Suncrest Middle’s Pranav Sure was there, too.
Katie Kincaid competed after taking the top ribbon at Covenant Christian, her school.
“I wasn’t nervous,” Mon’s champion said at the conclusion of the polysyllabic spree Wednesday.
“And I had done lots of practicing.”
Meanwhile, Natalia was pretty sure, she said, that she knew every word among the 162 sent forth in the bee, which took eight rounds to winnow the field – “winnow,” being one those words successfully spelled.
Others were felled by the tricky ones:
Sluggard.
Moxie.
Corpulent.
Affluent.
“Laconic,” got a laugh – not because it was misspelled, but because of the eliminated competitor’s reaction: “Oh, well.”
“Hey, it’s not easy, standing up there doing that,” Regina Snider said, and she knows. She was a co-judge at Mon’s event, and has been judging bees for going on 40 years.
There are a million or so words in the English language – and counting – and many of them are drawn from arcane sources.
All of them launched in Mon’s competition Wednesday were out there for the taking.
Or, for the almost-but-not-quite dispatch.
“You don’t have a spell-check program at the spelling bee,” the judge said.
For now, Natalia said she’s going home to practice more words, as she readies for the regional competition next month.
Winners earn a spot in the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee – the 98th edition – which is May in Washington, D.C.
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