By Catholic Review Staff
Emaan Ali, a fourth-grader from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Ellicott City, took top honors in the annual spelling bee sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore Department of Catholic Schools and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers.
The event was held May 4 at Ali’s school, where she earned a $75 Barnes and Noble gift card and a $1,000 monetary grant toward the purchase of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt elementary programs.
Nathan Cox, a fourth-grader at Immaculate Conception School in Towson, and Cameron White, a sixth-grader at St. John the Evangelist School in Severna Park, finished second and third, respectively, earning $50 and $25 gift cards from Barnes and Noble.
“May the 4th Bee with You” was the theme of the event, which drew 37 school champions to Howard County.
The other school champions participating, were: Madison Brown, Cardinal Shehan School, sixth grade; Cecilia Lee, School of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, sixth; Garrett Hanlon, Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Baynesville, fifth; Kamal Jackson, John Paul Regional Catholic School, fifth; Reagan Jaikeran, Monsignor Slade Catholic School, Glen Burnie, sixth; Mia Ferraro, Mother Seton School, Emmitsburg, sixth; Alejandra Whitney, Notre Dame Preparatory School, Towson, sixth; Henry Miller, Our Lady of Grace School, Parkton, sixth; Sia Lessis, Our Lady of Hope-St. Luke School, Dundalk, sixth; Nia Shetty, Our Lady of Victory Catholic School, Arbutus, sixth; Kathleen Gilliam, Resurrection-St. Paul School, Ellicott City, fifth.
Also, Clyde DeLuna, Sacred Heart School, Glyndon, sixth; Armand Ortiz, School of the Incarnation, Gambrills, fifth; Miriana Kelly, St. Agnes School, Catonsville, sixth; Derin Aderoju, St. Augustine, sixth; Vernonica Schmidt, St. Casimir Catholic School, sixth; Tamiya Parker, St. Francis of Assisi School, sixth; Grace Malkinski, St. Jane Frances School, Pasadena, sixth; Enya Coster, St. Joan of Arc School, Aberdeen, sixth; Susana Agyako-Wiredu, St. John Regional Catholic School, Frederick, sixth; Grant Tridone, St. John the Evangelist School, Hydes, sixth; Cameron Hays, St. Joseph School, Cockeysville, fifth.
Also, Andrew Villegas, St. Joseph School, Fullerton, fifth; Lamont Walker, St. Margaret School, Bel Air, sixth; Terry Nelson, St. Mark School, Catonsville, fifth; Amina Pasha, St. Mary School, Hagerstown, sixth; Rex McAllister, St. Mary’s Elementary School, Annapolis, sixth; Dominic Bush, St. Philip Neri School, Linthicum, fifth; Xavier Goodall, St. Pius X School, Rodgers Forge, sixth; Rosalee Kuta, St. Stephen School, Bradshaw, fifth; Josh Eden, St. Thomas Aquinas School, fifth; Laura Neumark, St. Thomas More Academy, sixth; Kay Lani Morgan, St. Ursula School, Parkville, sixth; and Adarsh Gadepalli, Trinity School, Ellicott City.
Emaan Ali, right, won the archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools spelling bee May 4. She is a fourth-grader at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Ellicott City, which was host to the competition. Also pictured, from left, are Maggie Narducci-Brown, a representative of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers (HMH), a sponsor; third-place finisher Cameron White, a sixth-grader at St. John the Evangelist School in Severna Park; runner-up Nathan Cox, a fourth-grader at Immaculate Conception School in Towson; and Jennifer Decola-Fitzgerald, another representative of HMH. (Courtesy Archdiocese of Baltimore)