District 54 students wow judges at seventh annual Spanish Speech Contest

District 54 hosted the final round of its seventh annual Spanish Speech Contest May 4 at MacArthur International Spanish Academy. More than 100 third- through eighth-grade students from around the district applied to participate. Contestants were divided into two categories: native Spanish-speakers and students who speak Spanish as a second language. Congratulations to the following winners!

Third- and fourth-grade native Spanish-speakers

• Paulette Villasenor, Link, first place

• Erik Fuentes, Armstrong, second place

• Irma Pulido, MacArthur, third place

Third- and fourth-grade Spanish-as-a-second-language speakers

• Lydia Ramos, MacArthur, first place

• Kirsten Lee, Lincoln Prairie, second place

• Alina Weigle, Link, third place

Fifth- and sixth-grade native Spanish-speakers

• Alexa Galindo, MacArthur, first place

• Nancy Espinoza, MacArthur, second place

• Luis Dominguez, MacArthur, third place

Fifth- and sixth-grade Spanish-as-a-second-language speakers

• Taylor Bieneman, Link, first place

• Eliza Weber, Enders-Salk, second place

• Bonnie Anderson, Enders-Salk, third place

Seventh-grade native Spanish-speakers

• Susana Rosas-Melo , Eisenhower, first place

• David Llanes, Eisenhower, second place

• Juliana Garcia, Mead, third place

Seventh-grade Spanish-as-a-second-language speakers

• Julia Chom, Eisenhower, first place

• Aiden Wise, Frost, second place

• Maggie Wheatley, Mead, third place

Eighth-grade native Spanish-speakers

• Adrian Huerta, Frost, first place

• Sofia Gasparri, Frost, second place

• Helene Archer, Frost, third place

Eighth-grade Spanish-as-a-second-language speakers

• Camryn Ranson, Frost, first place

• Abraham Rodriguez, Frost, second place

• Deanna Padron, Keller, third place

The volunteer judges were Danette Meyer, Gabriel Mendoza, Mario Gastelum and Rosa Peña-Ortega. Members of the selecting committee were Sonia Esquivel, Rosie Hernandez and Maggie Joyce.