Naomi Chan beams with pride as AUSD’s first-ever district spelling champ!
Twelve of Alhambra Unified School District’s top spellers went head-to-head in the 2025 District Spelling Bee on February 5, but only one could emerge as champion. That honor went to Naomi Chan, a sixth-grade student from Northrup School, who clinched the title and will now represent AUSD at the Los Angeles County Regional Spelling Bee on March 19.
Naomi dedicated plenty of time to preparing for the competition. “My mom read the words to me, and I wrote them down on a piece of paper,” she explained. “If I got a word wrong, I would focus on learning those words.”
Even with all her preparation, she admitted that competition day was nerve-wracking. “During the district bee, I was extremely nervous,” she said. “I studied the list a lot before the bee.” When the final word was announced as correctly spelled, Naomi couldn’t believe it. “At first, I was in shock when I won, then I was extremely excited!”
Now, she’s gearing up for the next challenge: competing against top spellers from all across LA County. “I feel nervous and plan to continue to study the words daily after doing my homework.”
Northrup Principal Lindsay Gilbert expressed immense pride in Naomi’s achievement. “Naomi’s dedication and perseverance really paid off. The entire Northrup community is so proud of her and can’t wait to cheer her on at the county bee!”
The 12 site winners who competed in the district finals were:
Grades 4-5: Zoey Chio (Brightwood), Elson He (Ynez), Catherine Le (Emery Park), Ryan Lu (Baldwin), Maxwell Worthington (Monterey Highlands), and William Xu (Northrup)
Grades 6-8: Naomi Chan (Northrup), Chloe He (Monterey Highlands), Grace Liang (Baldwin), Calvin Mei (Ynez), Brando Moscardini (Emery Park), and Charlotte Yang (Brightwood)
AUSD Spelling Bee Coordinator (and instructional coach) May May Lee, who played a key role in the success of this event, was thrilled with how the competition unfolded. “I think the audience really enjoyed seeing these incredible students challenge themselves. This was AUSD’s first time partnering with LA County for a district-wide spelling bee, and I hope even more students will get involved next year!”
AUSD extends congratulations to all 12 site winners who competed at the district level and wishes Naomi the best of luck as she prepares to take the next step in her spelling journey.
Congratulations to the 12 site winners and the educators who guided them to the district finals. (Photo Credit: AUSD Communications Intern Karlie Yonemoto)
