Winner of 21 WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee honored by Youngstown Rotary Club

YOUNGSTOWN - The winner of the 92nd annual 21 WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee was honored by the Youngstown Rotary during its Wednesday meeting for her academic achievement.
Daniela Pappalardo, a Canfield Village Middle School student in the seventh grade, will be headed to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
"It was too good to be true, I was kind of in shock when it happened, like, oh, huh, I kind of just went for fun and then it turned to like I actually won, and I'm just really excited and happy that I get to go," said Pappalardo when speaking on her win in the 21 WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee.
The national competition takes place the weekend of Memorial Day.
Pappalardo also received well wishes from the Youngstown Rotary Club ahead of her trip to Washington, D.C.
"I was really happy to find out that they wanted to talk to me, because I didn't expect it to be this big thing, but it's really, I really appreciate all of it, it's really nice," said Pappalardo.
According to Pappalardo in an interview with 21 News, she has had a passion for spelling.
"I've always been a big reader, and in 5th grade, they started the school spelling bee and I was like 'You know what, I might just give it a try," said Pappalardo.
She then went on to tell 21 News that she was the grade champion in fifth grade and then school champion seventh grade.
Pappalardo won the regional competition by correctly spelling the word "tonada", which means a tune or song.
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