Channahon student crowned Will County Spelling Bee champion

Will County — The Will County Regional Office of Education hosted its annual Regional Spelling Bee on March 14 and named Ribhu Chaher, an eighth grader from Channahon Junior High, as the champion.

Ribhu defeated 31 other contests from around Will County after 17 rounds of competition at Lincoln-Way West. His winning word was ‘ignominious.’

The Regional Office of Education also gave its congratulations to Homer Junior High eighth-grader Noah Wachter and Peotone Junior High eighth grader Greyson Denny, who placed second and third respectively.

All the finalists prepared for the competition by studying the 4,000-word list “Words of the Champions” provided by Scripps National Spelling Bee. Because of his Will County win, Chaher will now advance to compete in the National Spelling Bee in May in Washington, D.C.

The semi-final will be held on May 29, with the finals on May 30 and will be broadcast on ION TV. The winner of the National Spelling Bee receives $50,000 cash and a variety of prizes from Merrium Webster and Encyclopedia Brittanica.

In addition to advancing to the National Spelling Bee, the winner of the Will County Regional Spelling Bee also received a 2024 United States Mint Proof Set provided by chairman and CEO of iStar Financial Jay Sugarman, a Britannica Online Premium one-year subscription, a one-year subscription to Merrian-Webster Unabridged Online — the official word source for all levels of Scripps Spelling Bee competition, a one-year home subscription for kids coding platform Tynker plus eight online coding classes, and a one-year subscription to digital kids library Epic Family.

“Last night was an extremely proud moment for me as I witnessed our Will County students compete with strength and dignity,” said Superintendent for the Will County Regional Office of Education Dr. Lisa Caparelli-Ruff. “Also, I appreciate the overall support from the families and teachers who have fostered a love for learning in their children. This event certainly builds great character in these students.”

In a statement the Regional Office of Education notes that it continues to sponsor the spelling bee event to encourage the exploration of words, lifelong curiosity, beneficial study habits, and to give students experience with public speaking.

“We are very proud of Ribhu Chaher for his outstanding achievement in winning both the IVC Spelling Bee and the Will County Spelling Bee,” said Channahon Junior High Principal Chad Uphoff. “Ribhu’s dedication, hard work, and remarkable talent have shone brightly throughout these competitions, earning him well-deserved recognition.  Winning both spelling bees is a remarkable accomplishment that highlights Ribhu’s ability to thrive under pressure. As Ribhu’s principal, I am incredibly proud of his achievement and the positive representation he brings to our school.  I have no doubt that Ribhu has a bright future ahead and will continue to achieve great things both academically and personally.”

In addition to his spelling bee participation, Chaher is also involved in the school’s Scholastic Bowl Team, choir, band, and the school play.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been running since 1925, making it the U.S.’s largest and longest-running educational program. The Will County Regional Spelling Bee was sponsored by Exxon Mobile and the Will County Regional Office of Education and was judged this year by Laura Yanchick, Chelsea Bowen, and Melanie Short.