Editorial: Study spells bee victory

Persistence and commitment — like studying six days a week! — prepared 10-year-old Ariel Kokoricha of Clovis to win the state spelling bee title and propel her to the national bee in Washington, D.C.

With the correct spelling of the word “legato” Ariel beat out 39 competitors, ages 9 through 14, at the New Mexico Spelling Bee, including second-place winner Anish Kumar, 12, and third-place winner Benjamin Voter, 14, both from Santa Fe.

Ariel, who made it to third place last year, got to Saturday’s state bee at Sandia Prep by correctly spelling “strudel” at the Curry County bee. She’s a fifth-grader at Clovis Christian School and the daughter of Oyin and Tobore Kokoricha.

Now, the challenge ahead for Ariel is the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., on May 29-30. Her trip will be sponsored by the Albuquerque Journal and Newspapers in Education. In addition to the trip, Ariel received a trophy, Webster’s New Third International Dictionary and its addenda section, courtesy of Merriam-Webster; and the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a $100 U.S. Savings Bond, courtesy of Jay Sugarman.

Congratulations Ariel and good luck in May at the spellers’ big dance.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.