Middle School Student From Somers Wins Connecticut Spelling Bee

WEST HARTFORD, CT — After a long year of studying pronunciation guides and word lists, 36 of the best Connecticut spellers in grades 4-8 returned to West Hartford for the Connecticut Spelling Bee Sunday, for the chance to represent the state at the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Nathan Settevendemie, a 6th-grade student from Mabelle B. Avery Middle School in Somers, is the 2023 Connecticut Spelling Champion. Nathan took to the microphone 19 times during the competition, tackling the words “sunseeker,” “hipsterism,” “immie,” “phenotype,” “predilection,” “camarilla,” “vicissitudes,” “contumelious,” “nabal,” “arenaceous,” “poverty,” “placidly,” “libertarian,” “aerosol,” “dimorphism,” “diastema,” and “europium” before correctly spelling his winning word, “incisiform.”

He will represent Connecticut at the Scripps National Spelling Bee May 28 through June 3 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Port Washington, Maryland. He is the second Settevendemie family member to win the Connecticut Spelling Bee and represent the state at the national level. Last year, Julia Settevendemie earned 49th place in the 2022 national contest. Scripps estimates around 11 million students participate in the spelling program each year.

The sixth annual Connecticut Spelling Bee was presented by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, who will support the cost of Settevendemie attending Bee Week in Maryland.

Nicolas Colli of Somers Elementary School tied for fourth place.