May 4, 2012 > Local speller is a champ! Local speller is a champ! Article and photo courtesy of Brett Nelson On April 21, California held its annual State Elementary Spelling Bee competition at the San Joaquin Office of Education in Stockton. Thirty-one counties competed in this event, including Alameda. Representing Alameda County were Daphne Pan from Delaine Eastin Elementary in Union City and Shirlyn Prabahar from Warm Springs Elementary School in Fremont. After hours of countless words, the pool of 61 students dropped down to three students. For several rounds the students continued to spell words that were not only uncommon, but obscure. The group then dropped to the final two students, Shirlyn Prabahar from Warm Springs Elementary and Aditya Mishra from Excelsior Elementary in Placer County. The two students went back and forth but, unfortunately, there could only be one winner. Aditya placed first for a second year in a row, but Fremont's Shirlyn placed second when she had difficulty with the word scheherazadian, which means "strangely fabulous." It is quite a scheherazadian experience to not only have a state Spelling Bee finalist but also a student who is ranked 2nd in the state. Congratulations to Shirlyn!