CCISD students make history at first-ever national Spanish spelling bee

CCISD students, Carlos Rodriguez and Arturo Raya make history while inspiring bilingual learning and cultural pride

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two Corpus Christi Independent School District students are celebrating a historic win after competing — and placing — in the district’s first-ever national Spanish spelling bee.

Carlos Rodriguez and Arturo Raya say the competition was about much more than spelling words correctly. For both students, it was an opportunity to proudly represent the Spanish language and inspire other children to embrace bilingual learning.

Arturo’s mother, Flavia Bernal, admits she was initially surprised to learn about her son’s participation.

“I didn’t know much about the contest until my son came to me and said, ‘Mom, I entered a contest,'” Bernal said. “I asked him what kind of contest, and he said it was a spelling contest, spelling words letter by letter.”

The surprise didn’t stop there.

“The next day, he told me, ‘Mom, I won second place!’ I said, ‘Oh, well, congratulations, honey!'”

Bernal says she hopes CCISD continues the Spanish spelling bee in the future, giving more students the chance to strengthen their bilingual skills.

“They should give it a try because it’s something new,” she said. “For those who don’t know much Spanish, you can go letter by letter, and that inspires you to learn. From there, you learn the correct word.”

Carlos’ mother, Abril Padilla, says she knew early on that the competition meant something special to her son.

“First, he told me it was just an activity,” Padilla said. “I said, ‘Okay, honey, go for it.’ Then suddenly he said, ‘Mom, I was selected to compete.'”

As Carlos advanced, so did his commitment.

“Then he said, ‘You have to let me miss certain days of school for training,'” she added.

Padilla believes parental support plays a crucial role in helping children reach their goals — especially in preserving language and culture.

“I believe that the Spanish language should not be lost,” Padilla said. “We carry roots from Mexico and from many other places where Spanish is spoken, and it’s important to pass that on through generations.”

Both families hope that their sons’ success will encourage other students across CCISD to participate in, practice, and take pride in their cultural heritage.

 To read the Spanish version of this story, click here.