Fifth-grader Mia Barnes wins Rehoboth Elementary spelling bee

Fifth-grader Mia Barnes won the Rehoboth Elementary spelling bee Jan. 23, qualifying her for the Regional Scripps Spelling Bee in Dover Saturday, March 8.

Mia and Nnamdi Azie were the final two of the initial 26 competitors standing, all of whom qualified by winning at the classroom level.

In the ninth round of the bee, Nnamdi misspelled fruition. Mia then correctly spelled committee, and won the competition by correctly spelling linoleum.

The other 24 contestants included Karen Acurio-Herrera, Tommy Vavala, Charleigh Swindell, Mazzie Rogerson, Amelia Blyth, Caroline Mallon, Praiana DelCampo, Jackson Stephens, Abe Lehman, Yasin Yilmaz, Jordan Haynes, Marlon Lopez Iraheta, Mack Welsh, Milana Tsirtsan, Joey Petito, Rory Booth, Campbell Allen, Lila Vavala, Brody Chandler-Thompson, Ben Forrest, Savannah Cunningham, Caroline Feist and Isabella Moldovan.

Rehoboth Elementary Principal Doris Person, who was her school’s spelling bee champion for a few years when she was in elementary school, congratulated all the spellers. She encouraged them to keep reading and writing to build their skills.

Assistant Principal Kevin Monaghan did the same. Although he said he could still recall the classroom in which he was eliminated from his school’s spelling bee in fourth and fifth grade, he reassured students before the competition that spelling a word wrong “doesn’t define you,” and that they should be proud of making it to the schoolwide competition.

About taking the stage for the next round, Mia said, “I’m a little bit nervous, but I’m happy for myself.”