District 300 student wins Kane County Spelling Bee, moving onto nationals

Posted March 14, 2018 11:00 pm

Submitted by Samantha Jones

A fifth-grade student at Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove won the Kane County final spelling bee Wednesday night.

Pranav Kollu was among eight students competing for the chance to continue on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.

The spelling bee took place at the Kane County Regional Office of Education in Geneva. After two hours, 35 spelling rounds and 27 vocabulary rounds, Kollu was named the champion. His winning word was dégagé, meaning relaxed.

"Our mission is high-achievement learning and this win is evidence of that," Larry Cornett, vice president of schools, said. "We are proud to send another student to the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C."

The Kane County Regional Office of Education is sponsoring Kollu for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. He also won a $500 scholarship. The Scripps National Spelling Bee takes place from May 27-June 1, 2018.

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