Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee Champions Crowned

SANTA CRUZ – The 2024 Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee is in the books.

Aria Menon, a sixth-grader at Mountain Elementary School, was crowned champion of the elementary division; Kheiron Guin, a seventh-grader at San Lorenzo Valley Charter School, won the junior division.

First- and second-place finishers in both divisions advance to the California State Spelling Championship, scheduled for April 27 at the San Joaquin County Office of Education.

“Congratulations to our winners, and to each of the amazing students from across Santa Cruz County who participated this year!” said Barbara Huebner, multilingual achievement coordinator at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. “The Spelling Bee is not just about words, it’s a celebration of language and a chance for students to build confidence in their abilities that they will carry forward for years to come.”

Hosted by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, the 2024 Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee took place Saturday, Jan. 20, at UC Santa Cruz. The annual academic competition includes two divisions: elementary (grades 4-6) and junior (grades 7-9).

Competitors first participate in school spelling bees, with the top two finishers in each division advancing to the countywide competition. Students from schools that did not host a spelling bee were able to apply to participate on an at-large basis, selected by lottery.