Glenhope Elementary School

Glenhope Elementary School fourth-grade student Cayden Sirirak emerged as the top speller in the Area Spelling Bee held Thursday, January 26. Winners from GCISD’s and Carroll ISD’s elementary and middle school spelling bees compete annually in the Area Bee, with the winner then advancing to the Dallas Regional Spelling Bee.

While Sirirak came out on top, it wasn’t a quick and easy win. He and Cross Timbers Middle School’s first place winner Ryan Bansal were the last two competitors standing in this year’s Area Bee and went head-to-head in the final few rounds. When it was all completed, the competition lasted 31 rounds and participants spelled a total of 153 words.

Which word did Sirirak find the most difficult to spell? That was a difficult question for him to answer.

“When it was me and Ryan in the top two, it was a tie between all of them,” Sirirak said.

For Sirirak, this Area win was particularly special. As Glenhope’s campus spelling bee winner last year, he competed in the Area Bee, finishing in third place, something that he recalled during this year’s competition.

“I was like I really want to win it.” That was the thought going through his mind during this year’s competition. “I really wanted to see what the trophy looks like because I never had one.”

Proudly holding this year’s Area Bee trophy, he added that he is going to place his Area Bee trophy, “right next to my two school trophies. It feels really good.”

Sirirak now advances to compete in the Dallas Regional Spelling Bee to be held in March at TCU. The top two winners from there advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Story note: Because area bees are still being held across the area at the time this story was published, words used in the competition must remain confidential. For that reason, they are not mentioned in this story.