Chavez Middle School Student Wins Annual Spelling Bee

The Chavez Middle School Rattlers, logo seen here, are proud that one of their own won the annual spelling bee

During an intense competition at Holcomb Elementary School on March 7, Chavez Middle School eighth-grader Galen Cholbi emerged as the winner of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Collaborative Spelling Bee.

The SBCUSD Collaborative Spelling Bee is co-sponsored by the Scripps National Organization. The Scripps sponsorship makes it possible for participating schools to access official Scripps National Spelling Bee study guides and materials, and for the Collaborative winner and a parent or guardian to travel to the national spelling bee.

Galen Cholbi will be traveling to Washington D.C. in May for the national competition. It’s a trip familiar to Galen’s family because they made the same trip with his older sister, Isabel Cholbi, who was a multi-year winner of the SBCUSD Collaborative Spelling Bee.

Rounding out the top five spellers were second-place Steven Betancourt, Holcomb Elementary sixth-grader; third-place David Aguirre, King Middle School eighth-grader; fourth-place Yusuf Anteur, Chavez Middle School seventh-grader; and fifth-place Montserrat Mercado Ochoa, Thompson Elementary sixth-grader.

ESPN2 will broadcast the Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals on May 31. ESPN will broadcast the Spelling Bee finals on June 1.