BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield’s Enzo Paylaga proudly represented Kern County at the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee, tying for 74th place out of 243 national competitors.
- Enzo Paylaga, 14, tied for 74th place out of 243 competitors at the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee.
- The Norris Middle School student overcame nerves and surprised himself by advancing to the second day of competition.
- His family supported him every step of the way, helping him focus while enjoying the experience in Washington D.C.
- Now that the bee is over, the Paylaga family is taking time to relax and explore the nation's capital together.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In this landmark year for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, a Kern County speller achieved a remarkable feat by tying for 74th place out of 243 participants. Enzo shares how he felt about representing our community on such a grand stage.
14-year-old Enzo Paylaga of Bakersfield has done what many young spellers only dream of – placing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Competing against 243 of the nation's top spellers, Enzo tied for 74th place – an impressive achievement on the national stage. But Tuesday night, it came to an end. Enzo did not advance out of the quarterfinals. "Honestly, it went not as I expected. I didn't expect to make it to the second day since I had to take a written test yesterday, and I didn't find out my results till 9 o'clock." Paylaga said.
Enzo is finishing 8th grade at Norris Middle School. He tells me this entire competition brought out a side of him he didn’t know existed. When I first spoke with Enzo, he admitted his nerves were running high — but something shifted once he took the stage.
"I just started realizing that I am more intelligent than I thought I would be, so it brought me more confidence." He said.
Enzo's family tells me they couldn't be prouder of what he's accomplished. They also described what these last two days were like.
Chelsea Paylaga, is Enzo’s sister and she says "Enzo got to do all sorts of things like making baseball cards or doing little activities they planned, but when the competition came around, we really wanted him to focus. So we just tried to keep out of his way to let him focus and concentrate on his process of preparing."
Now that the competition pressure is off, they’re taking time to relax and enjoy Washington D.C. together.
You can continue watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Ion and Bounce XL.
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