37 years ago as a nervous eighth grader, I competed in the San Diego County Spelling Bee. I can clearly remember the excitement of that day, how nervous I was, and the exhilaration of spelling words correctly. While I didn't win, I fell in love with spelling bees. They are a passion that I'm thrilled to share with my oldest daughter, Daniella. She has competed in and won several local and District spelling bees, and placed sixth in last year's Fresno County competition. The hours we spend with each other practicing, learning words, and getting her prepared to compete are special to us. This year, we're rooting for our favorite speller, Fresno's Ananya Vinay, who Daniella has competed with. Spelling bees are a special connection that I feel blessed to share with Daniella. They are source of many happy mother- daughter memories we have made late at night while learning new words, and we're excited to watch the finals on Thursday.