Children and Youth

2018 Spelling Bee winners to go on to state championship

The first and second place winners from each division will go on to represent the county at the California State Spelling Bee Championships.
Elementary school division (Left to Right) First: Rasmeet Brar Second: Max Westphal Third: Brooklynn Goldstone Fourth: Kim Barcelos Photos by The Rotary Club of Hollister
Elementary school division (Left to Right) First: Rasmeet Brar Second: Max Westphal Third: Brooklynn Goldstone Fourth: Kim Barcelos Photos by The Rotary Club of Hollister
Winners_7-8th.jpg

Students from schools across the county competed in the San Benito County Office of Education 20th Annual Spelling Bee Feb 27.

First and second place winners from each division; grade 4-6 and grade 7-8, will  move on to represent the county at the state championships in May. The Rotary Club of Hollister awarded the top contestant from each category an iPad. 

In the elementary school division, sixth grader Rasmeet Brar from the Accelerated Achievement Academy took first place while sixth grader Max Westphal from the Hollister Dual Language Academy took second.  

Fifth grader Brooklynn Goldstone from the Accelerated Achievement Academy took third and fifth grader Kim Barcelos from RO Hardin took fourth place.  

In the Junior High division, eighth grader Carmela Clark from Spring Grove took first place and eighth grader Kyle Yaminishi from Southside school took second.  

Seventh grader Cassandra Rayas from the Hollister Dual Language Academy took third place and seventh grader Emmia Rivera from the Hollister Dual Language Academy took fourth.  

Laura Romero

Laura Romero has been a reporter and handled marketing/social media for BenitoLink. She has covered education and city government. Formerly, she worked as an assistant account executive at Pembroke PR in San Francisco, where she assisted with press outreach, event coordination, and social media planning. With her PR skills, she has helped to implement social media strategies and develop online giving campaigns for BenitoLink. Laura continues to contribute to BenitoLink on a freelance basis.