A pair of El Paso Independent School District students advanced to a prestigious state spelling bee in Spanish.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Shaheli de Silva and Ferran Martinez Caloca were recognized for advancing to the Texas State Spanish Spelling Bee, a prestigious competition that celebrates bilingualism, literacy, and academic excellence.<\/p>\n
De Silva is a student at Young Women\u2019s STEAM Research and Preparatory Academy, and Caloca is a student at Wiggs Middle School.<\/p>\n
They received their spots at the state level following their performances at the 2026 Education Service Center Region 19 Regional Spanish Spelling Bee, held Saturday, Feb. 7.<\/p>\n
The regional competition brought together top spellers from across the region, challenging students to demonstrate mastery of Spanish spelling, vocabulary and pronunciation in a fast-paced, academically rigorous setting.<\/p>\n
The Texas State Spanish Spelling Bee, hosted by ESC19, is a statewide academic event for students in grades four through eight that highlights linguistic achievement and cultural appreciation. The 2026 state competition is scheduled for June 4 at the Starlight Event Center in El Paso.<\/p>\n
More on new EPISD leadership New EPISD superintendent takes helm amid budget, enrollment challenges<\/a><\/p>\n Kristian Jaime is the Top Story Reporter for the El Paso Times and is reachable at Kjaime@elpasotimes.com.<\/p>\n