Meet the Top 10 Spellers of the 2024 Central PA Spelling Bee
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Christina Zeiders
Akshaj Somisetty, a seventh grader at Mountain View Middle School, earned the top spot at the 2024 Central PA Spelling Bee and an opportunity to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee held in National Harbor, Maryland, by correctly spelling “aeronautics.”
Akshaj’s favorite food is pizza, his favorite author is Rick Riordan and he would like to become a doctor. He admires Einstein for his creativity and enjoys math.
Congratulations, Akshaj, and good luck in National Harbor!
Vedika Burman, a fourth grader at Paxtonia Elementary School, took the #2 spot. Her favorite food is pasta, and she is interested in plants and books. She admires Harry Potter for his courage. She would like to become a professor.
Rudranandhan Kumar, a seventh grader at Mountain View Middle School, earned the #3 spot. His favorite food is pancakes. He admires former president of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, for his contributions to people’s welfare and education. He is interested in space and hopes to become an aeronautical engineer.
Anunita Kesavan, a sixth grader at Eagle View Middle School, took the #4 spot. Her favorite food is macaroni and cheese, and her favorite book is The False Prince by Jennifer Nielson. She admires Rosa Parks for standing up for people’s rights. She would like to become a doctor.
Asa Witmer, a seventh grader at Wheatland Middle School, earned the #5 spot. Her favorite food is sushi, and her favorite read is Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds by Ian Wright. She is interested in maps, reading, soccer, graphic design, music and drawing. Her dream careers include teacher, scientist and cartographer.
Judson Burkholder, a seventh grader at Gehmans Mennonite School, came in at #6. His favorite food is curry chicken with naan and his favorite author is Jim Kjelgaard. He admires his parents because they are good examples. He would like to become a surgeon.
Arpana Banjara, an eighth grader at Central York Middle School, earned the #7 spot. Her favorite food is dumplings, and her favorite author is Laurie Halse Anderson. She admires her mom for doing a lot for her. She hopes to become a lawyer.
Sarah Kessler, a seventh grader at Central York Middle School, took the #8 spot. Her favorite book is The Wingfeather Saga series. She admires Helen Keller for excelling in her studies and work even though she was blind and deaf. She has a mini golden doodle named Nugget and would like to become an ELA teacher.
Sharanya Kandimala, a seventh grader at Eagle View Middle School, came in at #9. Her favorite book is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. She admires her parents because they are both intelligent and motivate her to work harder. She would like to become a pediatrician.
Derek Shaffer, an eighth grader at East Pennsboro Middle School, rounds out our top 10 spellers. His favorite food is sushi, and his favorite book is Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. He admires Eric Cong for his perseverance and hopes to become an architect.
Stream highlights from the 2024 Central PA Spelling Bee on WITF’s YouTube channel.
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