Carrollton Junior High School seventh grader Kyu Alegre accomplished one of the most difficult – and stressful – tasks any student can achieve – capturing the title of State Spelling Bee Champion! He pulled off this feat Friday afternoon at the Georgia state bee held in Plains, Ga.

To put into perspective how hard it is, here is the list of words he spelled correctly to win: Babushka, chinchilla, egregious, mesmerize, philippic, bobadil, Baedeker, Voortrekker, Luxembourg, stramineous, gilia, hyaloid, agrypnia.

The bee took 16 rounds to complete.Three rounds were vocabulary definitions.

The last state spelling champion Carrollton City Schools can claim for fame was almost 25 years ago when 1998 CHS graduate Alex Waters brought home the trophy. She won the state bee when she was a student at Carrollton Junior High School. More recently, 2010 CHS graduate Ali Low placed third at state in 2006. Brooke Daniel, a 2004 CHS graduate, also competed at state. Students in grades 4 through 8 are eligible to compete.

Kyu now will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee May 27 in Washington, D.C. The Georgia Association of Educators sponsors the state bee. In addition to earning the honor to be named state champion and getting a big trophy, he received $1,000, a VISA gift card, and iPad Pro.

(photo 1) Carrollton Junior High School seventh grader Kyu Alegre is pictured with Sid Chapman, president of the Georgia Association of Educators, sponsor of the state bee.

(photo 2) Kyu is pictured above with his support team at the state spelling bee in Plains: His parents, Jere and Fanella True, Carrollton City Schools teachers, from left, Leigh Crews, Shannon Mancil and Cindy Lamb, and spelling mentor and local bee officiator, Fae Kelley, standing in the back.