Bee brave: Astorga excited, nervous for national spelling bee

Spellers from around the country and even the world, including Belpre City Schools fifth-grader Enzo Astorga, are gearing up for the 96th Scripps National Spelling Bee next week.

According to a Scripps National Spelling Bee media release, 245 children ranging in age from 8 to 15 advanced through local and regional spelling bees to earn the chance to compete May 28 to May 30 in the bee at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

The bee's website said the spellers hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Department of Defense Schools in Europe, the Bahamas, Canada and Ghana.

Astorga earned his spot in the national bee by winning the 43rd annual Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee, beating out students from 12 school districts when he correctly spelled two words, "languish" and "abject" and second place finisher Charlee Harper of Switzerland of Ohio Schools incorrectly spelled "chastise."

Scripps National Spelling Bee Executive Director Corrie Loeffler said in the release that each year she is moved by the stories she reads about spellers in the leadup to the national bee.

"They are athletes and artists, engineers and entrepreneurs, philanthropists and authors - they are multi-faceted young people," Loeffler said. "The thing they have in common is a shared love of language and the empowerment that comes from having the words to make connections and express their ideas."

Astorga fits the mold of a multi-faceted youth. According to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website, he is an 11-year-old with several hobbies including video games, jiuj itsu, reading, fishing, swimming and stargazing with his telescope. The website said his favorite subject is science, his favorite color is blue, he likes cats of which he has two and he is the oldest of four children.

The release said that more than 73% or 180 spellers this year are competing for the first time in the Scripps National Spelling bee. This is Astorga's first time too.

Astorga's mother Stacy Schimke said that she and Enzo are doing "pretty good" in the lead up to the national spelling bee.

"We've been studying his words," she said.

She said her mother has also been helping Astorga study the words too.

"I'm studying some parts of the week, not every day though," Astorga said. "They're pretty hard words."

Schimke said that Astorga is excited and nervous about the national spelling bee.

"I think he's nervous too because this is probably one of the biggest events he's ever been to," she said.

She also said she thinks Astorga is nervous because there will be cameras at the national spelling bee.

Schimke and Astorga have plans to enjoy some of the attractions that the Washington, D.C., area has to offer.

She said that the Scripps National Spelling Bee provided free tickets for a trolley tour and that they will see the Smithsonian Institution and the National Air and Space Museum.

"He's excited to see (the museums) and play at a 'goofy golf' place," Schimke said about her son. "He's excited because the resort has a pool."

Astorga agreed that he is "a little bit excited" about the spelling bee and said he wants to see the museums.

"They have a planetarium," Astorga said.

According to The E.W. Scripps Company Vice President of Communications Michael Perry, the Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals will be broadcast on ION from 8-10 p.m. May 29 and the finals will air from 8-10 p.m. May 30.

To find ION in your area, go to: https://iontelevision.com/find-us. To learn what other rounds will be broadcast and on what channels they will air, visit https://spellingbee.com/watch.