Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School seventh grader, Ben Szatanek, is preparing for the competition of his life. The past few months have been very exciting for the two-time Montgomery County spelling bee champion and now Alabama’s top speller as he prepares himself to compete in the 79th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC on May 31st and June 1st. Ben has been studying and practicing his spelling diligently with his mom. On the eve of the state competition, Ben went up against the teachers in a mock spelling bee in front of the entire Middle School. Ben said, “It was fun to see how well my teachers could spell.” Of course, he was the last man standing. After 17 grueling rounds, Ben cinched the state title with the correct spelling of “Catechumen.” The Scripps National Spelling Bee will be televised on ESPN on June 2nd.Pictured: Alabama’s top speller, Ben Szatanek, is a seventh grade student at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School.
