Citra Benhar Wins Banning Unified School District Spelling Bee - Again

Citra Benhar won the Banning Unified School District Spelling Bee on Tuesday for the second year in a row.

"Of course we are proud," Citra's mom, Diana Benhar said Wednesday.

A total of 28 4th grade to 8th grade students took part in the contest, Mónica O'Brien of Banning Unified said.

Citra is a 10-year-old 6th-grader at Coombs Intermediate.

Jasani Seymour, 4th-grader at Central Elementary came in second, and Chris Yedwalksy, a 7th-grader at Nicolet Middle, came in third.

As the first-place winner, Citra will compete at the county level on March 21, O'Brien said. Jasani will serve as an alternate in the county bee.

Citra is a year younger than her sixth-grade classmates because she skipped 4th grade, her parents said. She speaks English and Spanish, and she says she doesn't have a favorite subject. She likes all her classes at Susan B. Coombs Intermediate School: reading, language and social studies, math and sciences.

"Other kids can understand from Citra, you can reach your goals," Diana Benhar told last year. "You just have to apply yourself, and do your best, and you will achieve."

, originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, have been in Banning 10 years. They own and work at Super Subs on San Gorgonio Avenue, and they are proud of all four of their daughters, who include Bridget, 18, Valora, 20, and Chanda, 22.

Asked last year how she does so well in spelling and in school, Citra smiled, pointed at Bridget and said, "This girl right here!"

Bridget, a , countered right away: "It's not even me. She studies a lot."