Name any Spanish word and we bet that sixth-grader Cesar Guzman can spell it! He took home the 1st place trophy in September at the Frenship ISD District Spanish Spelling Bee, then advanced to the Regional Spanish Spelling Bee at Texas Tech University's International Cultural Center this past weekend where he added another 1st place trophy to his collection. Guzman will be headed to El Paso for the second time this summer where he will compete in the National Spanish Spelling Bee.
While at the Regional Competition, Guzman competed against several of his classmates in the Frenship Dual Language program, and other students from across the Lubbock area. Guzman went up against a total of 50 students in the Regional Bee.
“The competition is fierce. Each district prepares their competitors with a 1st place win in mind. Cesar actually studied every word in the booklet. That is an amazing feat in itself. He dominated each round with confidence. He was determined to return to El Paso once again for the National Spelling Bee,” said Cristina Barragan, Terra Vista Dual Language Teacher.
When it came down to the final moments of the Regional Spanish Spelling Bee and Guzman realized he might take home the 1st place spot again, he immediately felt humbled and honored.
“I didn’t think I was going to win again, but at the end, God gave me another chance to keep on going and I’m going to take that chance,” said Guzman.
Barragan said that although she wasn’t competing in the competition herself, she felt the nerves. She was ecstatic when Cesar’s name was announced as the winner.
“I am always a nervous wreck during the competition. I know how hard my students work for the Spanish Spelling Bee. It entails hours of preparation and practice,” said Barragan. “Upon hearing the news, I jumped for joy. A well-deserved award for this amazing student.”
Terra Vista Assistant Principal Jennifer Verett attended the Regional Bee and enjoyed seeing several Terra Vista students participating. She feels proud to watch Guzman advance to the next level.
“We are so incredibly proud! He is an amazing kiddo both personally and academically. It was so much fun to get to watch him in action at the competition,” said Verett.
Now that Guzman has a ticket to the National Spanish Spelling Bee, he plans on continuing to practice every possible word and looks forward to another chance to prove his skills nationally.
“I’m most excited for the challenges and the people that I’m going up against at Nationals,” said Guzman.
Guzman wants to thank his parents and teachers for helping him prepare and excel to this level.
Congratulations, Cesar Guzman! Frenship will be cheering you on this summer!