Spelling: the weekly tests elementary school students dread. Some individuals never seem to struggle with spelling the most complicated words, and the rest of us, myself included, envy these talented humans. Daniel Wu, 7th grader at ACP Erie, recently illustrated his spelling talents at the CUSD Spelling Bee. Daniel placed 7th in the Chandler District and is proudly representing ACP in the Regional Spelling Bee.

In an interview with Daniel, he explained how he was nervous for the spelling bee but not as nervous as others. He explained how before the spelling bee started, the contestants played ice-breaker games, similar to the games played on ACP’s annual, first day assembly. He said he wished they could’ve started the spelling bee right away in order to calm everyone’s nerves. He continued with stating that he wasn’t as nervous for the CUSD Bee; however, he clarified that it was a lot more competitive and the “top five spellers seemed to know every word on the list…”.

Jumping to the end of the competition, Daniel proudly and confidently represented ACP in the CUSD Bee and placed 7th, earning him a spot in the Regional Spelling Bee. Daniel said he was ecstatic when he found out he placed 7th. He, along with the other contestants, received a certificate for earning a spot in the CUSD Spelling Bee, which is quite an arduous task. Daniel continued with saying he was happy the contest was over and that he could have some down time at his house.

He concluded the interview with some words of wisdom for future spelling contestant: “study our words… and study with others… it helps a lot more than just looking at a paper…”. He also clarified that his family supported him through his ongoing journey, specifically his mother, who helped him study his words.