Aditi Shashidhara of Benton County is the winner of the 2022 Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas State Spelling Bee. The 12-year-old Haas Hall of Bentonville student is the daughter of Ramya and Eswaraiah Shashidhara.
Shashidhara won among of field of 54 students from across Arkansas that had won their respective county spelling bees. The state event was held at the Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock.
The runner-up for the state contest was Eleanor Christine Huff of White County. Placing 3rd was Matthew Brodbent of Cross County, while 4th place went to Charles Akin Johnson of Washington County. Lucy Claire Coon of Pulaski County and Ahlam Ali Nur of Greene County placed 5th.
Approximately 61,500 students from 393 schools in 56 counties across Arkansas participated in local and county contests that leading up to the State Spelling Bee contest. Shashidhara, the Arkansas winner, will proceed to The Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program.
The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them throughout their lives.
For additional images and to learn more about the Arkansas State Spelling Bee visit our Arkansas State Spelling Bee page.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides services to the distribution cooperatives; and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 600,000 homes, farms and businesses in Arkansas and surrounding states.
For additional information, contact:
Rob Roedel, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas at (501) 570-2296 or email Rob.