Thank you to our brave and wonderful spellers who fought back nerves and competed in MSCS' 2023 Spelling Bee.
Our spellers this year were Robert Doehler, Malachi O’Kelley, Sawyer Chappel, Danian Helmericks, Killian Connolly, Tighe Connoly, and Juliana Melendez. I am so proud of each and every one of them for stepping out and doing what most of us would not; they amaze me with this strength. And their joy to simply be there in the moment and be with friends did not go unnoticed. Truly, students were giving fist-pumps and high fives when returning to their seats after spelling. They were the most admirable of competitors with true respect for one another.
Both Sawyer Chappel and Killian Connolly tied for third place, while then Malachi O’Kelley and Tighe Connoly battled on for another 24 rounds. In the end, nearly two hours after beginning, Tighe Connolly was victorious with the spelling of the word antigen. Tighe was our youngest contestant as a fourth grader but approached the mic each time with a giant grin and a witty presence. He now goes on to take the online spelling screener to determine which 25 Alaskan students will move on to the live competition in Anchorage on March 24th.
