¿Cómo se deletrea campeona? How do you spell champion? M-A-R-I-U-M.
Young Women’s STEAM eighth grader Marium Zahra won the National Spanish Spelling Bee on Saturday during a live webcast, where she out-spelled dozens of competitors from throughout the country.
After nearly four hours of competition, Marium correctly spelled the word jurisdicción (jurisdiction) to win the event.
Second place went to Pablo Herrera from Brentwood, N.Y. and third place went to Mariana Tinajero from the Canutillo Independent School District.
“I studied really, really hard and I am very, very happy,” Marium said after being asked how she felt about winning.
Shortly after winning, she took to Twitter to show gratitude to those who have helped her.
“I just won the National Spanish Spelling Bee,” Marium tweeted. “Thanks for all the support to, to my teacher Mr. Arriaga and to my mom for all the help studying.”
Marium is El Paso’s top speller, having won the local Spanish Spelling Bee in 2020 as well as this year’s El Paso Regional Spelling Bee. Earlier this summer she competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
As the winner of the Spanish spelling bee, she will receive a medal, a plaque and $500 for school supplies. She also qualifies automatically for next year’s competition, which is slated to take place in El Paso.
“You may not have to travel very far to defend your title,” David Briseño, the spelling bee’s director, told Marium.
