11-Year-Old Anthony Cardenas Claims Victory in Santa Fe Spelling Bee

An exhilarating showdown at the B.F. Young Professional Center in Santa Fe culminated in an impressive win for 11-year-old Anthony Cardenas during the annual Spanish spelling bee. The competition, held on March 14, 2024, saw Cardenas secure his victory after accurately spelling the word taxista, meaning “taxi driver,” following a tense half-hour battle with fellow competitor Nathanael Hernandez-Ordoñez, aged 9.

The atmosphere was electric as the audience erupted in applause, marking a significant achievement for Cardenas, a student from Ramirez Thomas Elementary. Despite his runner-up finish in the district’s previous Spanish bee, Hernandez-Ordoñez remained unfazed. The El Camino Real Academy student proudly declared, “I’m the best person at Camino,” reflecting on his personal progress, especially as this was his first time finishing in the top three.

Hernandez-Ordoñez, the son of Guatemalan parents, expressed his love for languages, stating, “I can make more friends.” He also shared his aspirations to learn French or Italian next, grasping his second-place trophy tightly with a grin. “My parents never got something like this,” he said, highlighting the personal significance of the achievement.

The annual spelling bee celebrates the linguistic talents of Santa Fe students, showcasing the district’s commitment to strengthening its dual language programs. Open to students from fourth to eighth grades, the event has been held for more than 20 years and is organized by the Language and Culture Department, with teachers and coaches serving as judges.

Both Cardenas and Hernandez-Ordoñez will advance to the state Spanish Spelling Bee, where Hernandez-Ordoñez will act as an alternate. Guadalupe Estrada, a bilingualism coach at Ramirez Thomas Elementary, served as the event’s pronouncer and emcee. Estrada reflected on the importance of bilingual programs, sharing her own experience as a student from Mexico who benefited from similar opportunities at Capital High.

“It was a little easier for me to adapt because I could use my first language to learn my second language,” she told the audience, many of whom raised their hands to indicate they were enrolled in dual language programs. Estrada emphasized, “Just by being here, you have already won,” a sentiment echoed by Daniel Pastrana, executive director of the Language and Culture Department. He inspired the students, stating, “The future of this world is multilingual,” urging them not to forget the “tremendous gift” of the languages they have learned.

The competition posed a unique challenge for the 22 participating students. Unlike English spelling bees, contestants were required to indicate accent marks for their answers to be accepted by judges. This detail proved tricky for several participants, including some who faltered on the accented “a” in báscula, which translates to “scale.”

One standout moment came when a participant correctly spelled both oxímoron (oxymoron) and náufrago (castaway) in rapid succession, drawing admiration from the audience. Others stumbled over words such as abuñolado (fried), igualitarismo (egalitarianism), and tauromaquia (bullfighting).

Competitors were selected based on their performances in their respective school spelling bees. Among them was Hadley Fairbridge, a 14-year-old student at Mandela International Magnet School. Despite coming from an English-speaking household, Fairbridge shared that she finds Spanish words easier to spell than English ones, adding, “And I just think it’s a really beautiful language.”

The Santa Fe Spanish spelling bee not only showcases the talents of its young linguists but also reinforces the value of multilingualism in an increasingly globalized world.