Arts & Entertainment
Whiz Kid: Spelling Superstar And So Much More!
Spelling bee winner, musician, athlete, sister, loving daughter -- sixth-grader Micaela Bastianelli is traveling down a path of success.
Luiseño sixth-grader Micaela Bastianelli is just 11 years old, but she’ll be put to the test on March 23 when she travels to Moreno Valley for the annual
During the 2009-10 district bee she finished in the top 10, but this year she took home and will now represent the district at the county level.
When asked about her preparation for the district bee, Micaela explained that she studied a word list provided to contestants.
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“First I read the word, see it in my head, spell it, then reread it,” she said.
She said her preparation method will not change for the upcoming bee.
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“If it got me this far, I’m not changing it!” Micaela said, noting that although she gets nervous at competitions, she relaxes after spelling her first word.
Last year’s Lake Elsinore Unified School District bee winner, Kendra Burns, went to Washington, D.C. to compete at the Scripp’s National Spelling Bee. Micaela has her sights set on following in Burns’ footsteps.
Micaela said her family inspires her quest for success. Her older half-sister will be attending Stanford in the fall, and her mom and step-dad are both college instructors.
Micaela also credits her father with her academic success. Tragically, her dad, Michael, was killed in an auto accident when she was just 6 years old.
“He always pushed me to do well in school. Even though I was young, he’d work with me on educational games,” she said.
As tears welled in her eyes, Micaela expressed sadness over losing her dad.
“He was always there for me,” she said. “We spent a lot of time together, but I wish I could have spent more.”
With the love and support of her family, Micaela will surely reach her goals. She plans on attending college, but is unsure of her future career.
“Maybe a lawyer, but I’m really getting into science,” she said, adding that both paleontology and entomology interest her.
When not spelling, Micaela likes to pursue her other interests, like soccer, track, dance and music; she has played the clarinet for three years.
A devoted big sister, she also enjoys reading to her baby brother, Kamau.
“I will help him excel, but I won’t push him to do spelling bees. That might not be something he likes,” she said.
No doubt, however, Kamau will look up to his big sister’s shining example.
