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Photo courtesy of Hoover City Schools
Enen Wu, a seventh grader at Berry Middle School, was the winner of the 2024 Hoover City Schools districtwide spelling bee at Spain Park High School in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
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Photo courtesy of Hoover City Schools
Diya Kaza, a fifth grader from Trace Crossings Elementary School, was the runner-up in the 2024 Hoover City Schools districtwide spelling bee at Spain Park High School in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
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Photo courtesy of Hoover City Schools
Diya Kaza, a fifth grader from Trace Crossings Elementary School in Hoover, Alabama, spells a word during the Hoover City Schools 2024 districtwide spelling bee at Spain Park High School on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
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Photo courtesy of Hoover City Schools
Enen Wu, a seventh grader from Berry Middle School, left and Diya Kaza, a fifth grader from Trace Crossings Elementary School, were the final two contestants in the 2024 Hoover City Schools districtwide spelling bee at Spain Park High School in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
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Photo courtesy of Hoover City Schools
Students from three Hoover middle schools and 10 elementary schools competed in the Hoover City Schools 2024 districtwide spelling bee at Spain Park High School in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
Enen Wu, a seventh grader from Berry Middle School, captured the win in the Hoover City Schools 2024 spelling bee on Tuesday.
Wu competed against the top spellers from Hoover’s three middle schools and 10 elementary schools in the districtwide event held at Spain Park High School. After a little over an hour, she claimed the win in the 37th round of the competition by correctly spelling the word “bango,” which is an East African grass used in thatching buildings.
Diya Kaza, a fifth grader from Trace Crossings Elementary School, was the runner-up. Kaza was eliminated after misspelling "assiduous," which means "showing great care and perseverance."
Wu said she was astounded to win the district spelling bee. “I feel like I’m floating, and I’m really happy,” she said. “I will finally go to the [Jefferson] county competition, which I’ve never attended before. I was nervous for sure, but I also came here to win, so I did my very best. I’m not a competitive person, but I try to be my best."
Wu expressed gratitude to her parents, her English teacher and especially her sister, who helped her study. “She really helped boost my position up there," Wu said.
Berry Middle School Principal Melissa Hadder expressed pride in Wu's achievement, saying it is a well-deserved honor for an exceptional student.
"I am so proud of Enen for her remarkable achievement in winning first place at the district spelling bee,” Hadder said. “Enen's dedication and hard work at Berry Middle School truly shined through. Her success reflects her individual excellence and represents the high standards of academic achievement we uphold at Berry Middle. We look forward to cheering her on as she represents our school in the next level of the competition."
Despite being eliminated, Kaza expressed excitement (and nerves) about participating in her first district spelling bee and said she is proud of achieving second place. "It’s better than I expected to do,” she said. “I thought I would be out in the first few rounds."
She credited the intense school spelling bee at Trace Crossings Elementary for preparing her for the district competition.
Submitted by Hoover City Schools
