Pride of O.W. Huth Middle School Again Spells Her Way to the Top

Carmen Isabella Merino is as cool as a cucumber, spelling C-U-C-U-M-B-E-R on the spot prompted by a ZOOM call participant.

But first Merino asked with a level of expertise: “What is the “definition of cucumber” followed by “What is the language of origin?”.

Well schooled for a 13-year old, the O.W. Huth Middle School 8th grader advanced last month in district competition.

Wednesday night Merino needed nearly three hours to win the 12th Annual South Cook ISC Scripps Spelling Bee competition night at Southland College Preparatory Charter High School, 4601 Sauk Trail.

Merino’s ability to stay calm, bide time and see the entire structure of the word in her mind leads to her drawing a deep breath and spelling accurately the designated word. The silent buildup adds to the drama. Her know-how in the moment belies her youth under the glare of the spotlight on the large stage in the glorious Southland College Prep field house.

Merino credits her instructors -- teachers Tara Davis and Nancy Pellack at O.W. Huth Middle School -- for renewing her confidence after a hiccup knocked her out of an early round in a previous year of competition.

Merino said her teachers “stayed with me” and she returned to her 8th grade year with a renewed confidence, leaving a tough loss in her wake.

“Without a willingness to want to get better and compete, you don’t have a champion” said Mrs. Davis. “We saw how disappointed she was in herself when she lost the previous year but she came back ready to compete.”

Merino thinks “nerves got the best” of her when she came up short of her own expectations. The ability to stay in the moment to produce her best performances is the result of practiced breathing routines, sometimes initiated by her requests for “origin” and “definition” statements that are all part of the intense process of competing against others and whittling down the hundreds of competitors to one in the winner’s circle.

Mrs. Pelleck insists the teacher can only “guide the students” as they prepare for any of 4,000 possible words to spell.

“Carmen is very modest,” said Mrs. Pelleck. “And better than she realizes. She got started in the third grade, persevered, persevered and now she’s our District Champion.”

Merino – relatively a seasoned veteran at age 13 – extends advice for younger spelling bee participants.

“Begin by writing the word down five times,” said Merino. “Keep studying no matter what because it will help. Visualize the word in your head and try to see the whole word at once, take a deep breath and spell it.”

Last week as Merino was preparing for the March 2, 2022 South Cook Spelling Bee Competition, the focus was on the list of the “most often misspelled words” that trip up even the most elite spellers.

“Carmen was remarkable in her ability to stay relaxed, focused and in control of the moment,” said Lee Stanton, Matteson School District 162 Associate Superintendent, who, along with Ashley L. Hanson, Reading Specialist at Illinois School prepared diligently so that the Spelling Bee flowed flawlessly. Sponsors for the Spelling Bee, Pepper Construction and Wight & Company architects, Jay Ripsky and Rick Dewar, respectively, addresses the contestants and served as judges during the lengthy and dramatic competition.

“The pandemic has added a number of things beyond spelling to a student’s performance, such as masks, when to remove the mask, how to sanitize the microphone, and other spacing issues” said Stanton. “These kids are amazing under pressure, facing the challenges the way they will life - straight on.”

On the horizon for Carmen are high school and college and preparation for potential career opportunities in fashion design, writing, modeling or being a teacher.”

Some are hoping her first career will be in education.

“These are the quality young people we are bringing back to teach in our district and high school because of their rich, rewarding experiences as a student,” said Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, Southland CEO and School Superintendent for District 162. “Wherever this young lady does go, she’ll be able to put Spelling Bee Champion on her resume.”