LIHUE — The students — all 22 representing 11 different educational institutions — that gathered on Thursday night for the 2025 Kauai Complex Area Spelling Bee at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School cafeteria were part of a very special class.
Sean Doi, the spelling bee coordinator from the Kauai Complex Area, explained this year’s bee is the 100th anniversary of the Scripps Spelling Bee that started in 1925 with just nine spellers.
Doi said spelling bee is an opportunity for students to have an opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., where the national bee is held.
Among the field of 22 spellers, Kapaa Middle School student Sebastian Bejar participated in the 2024 spelling bee and advanced past the state level to represent Hawaii at the national spelling bee.
This is all made possible by the school principal and other volunteers such as Kauai Complex Area resource teachers Michael Depoe, Joy Abreu and Darlene Muraoka, who served as the bee judges.
Leila Kuboyama and Alicia Miyashiro of the Kauai Complex Area office and Kauai Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada helped with the presentations.
Jan TenBruggencate, who was part of the 100-year journey as a bee participant in Molokai, served as the night’s Pronouncer.
Eleven rounds after “teriyaki” claimed its first victim via the school bell “ding,” there were three surviving spellers — Elijah Kualii of Eleele Elementary School, AJ Gregorius of Alakai O Kauai Public Charter School, and Orah McGee of Alakai O Kauai Public Charter School.
“Anise,” “schism,” and “goliath” were spelled correctly to advance the round where “bowsprit” gave the top honor to McGee after Kualii and Gregorius stumbled on their given word.
With McGee filling one of the slots advancing to the state bee, there was a need to come up with the second slot advancing to the state bee, and the spelling war continued between Gregorius and Kualii.
Tackling words that required the use of more than a dictionary or Internet, Gregorius drew applause from Kualii and the audience after spelling his word correctly.
This year’s state level spelling bee will take place in March with an exact date to be announced.
This year’s title sponsors include Alaska Airlines and UHA Health Insurance.
