Spelling Success: HGA Student Buzzes to the Top!

Albuquerque, NM - CNUSD is buzzing with pride! On July 12, 2025, Home Gardens Academy student Vivianna Peñaloza made school history as she competed in the National Spanish Spelling Bee, held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This marks the first time a CNUSD scholar has advanced to the national level—thanks to Vivianna’s incredible win at the inaugural CNUSD DLI Spanish Spelling Bee earlier this year.

After 13 intense rounds of a spellbinding competition at the district level, Vivianna emerged victorious becoming CNUSD’s first Spanish Spelling Bee champion and earning her spot among the 34 top spellers in grades 4–8 from across the country.

At nationals, Vivianna buzzed through 11 rounds with poise and precision before meeting her match in round 12 with the word inmunización (immunization). While she didn’t take home the top prize, her performance was nothing short of espectacular (spectacular).

The National Spanish Spelling Bee is more than just a spelling showdown, it’s a literacy celebration that nurtures strong reading habits, comprehension, public speaking, and confidence. It provides a stage for students to showcase the fruits of their academic labor and builds essential skills that last a lifetime. 

"I'm so proud of her and all our CNUSD scholars who participated in the historic CNUSD bee," said Analia Oliver, Teacher on Special Assignment. "Because of this inaugural event, we sent our first CNUSD scholar to the national competition and put our district on the map."

Congratulations to Vivianna for representing CNUSD with such dedication, heart, and ortografía (spelling) skills that wowed us all!

Portrait of Vivianna Penaloza, a smiling student with long dark hair, wearing a royal blue blouse. She is the 2025 DLI Spanish Spelling Bee Winner from Home Gardens Academy.Three smiling children sit inside an airplane cockpit, surrounded by flight instruments and controls. The child on the left wears a white shirt, the child in the middle has long dark hair and wears a pink top, and the child on the right has long dark hair and wears a black ruffled-sleeve shirt.A family sits together in an auditorium row wearing matching black Spanish Spelling Bee shirts. Vivianna Penaloza sits with her parents and two siblings, all smiling as they wait for the event to begin. Other attendees are seated in the background.Vivianna Penaloza stands on stage at the National Spanish Spelling Bee in front of a large projected screen showing her photo and contestant number (#34). She speaks into a microphone held by the announcer while other student participants sit behind her. The background displays the event logo: “Campeones de Deletreo – National Spanish Spelling Bee.”Vivianna Penaloza stands smiling in a hallway next to a tall yellow banner that reads “Spanish Spelling Bee – Concurso de Deletreo” with a cartoon bee wearing glasses. She wears jeans and a black event t-shirt.