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.

When I saw one of my classmates up there spelling one of the words I was hoping he'd spell it right. He did not. Even if he did not win he is still a champion to our school.