Countdown To The 2013 Regional Spelling Bee

Posted: February 22, 2013

Cecily Lawton

Julia Lawton

Editor’s Note: This is the third and fourth of 20 profiles of the contestants in the 2013 Regional Spelling Bee sponsored by the Rockingham District Ruritans and co-sponsored by the Daily News-Record and public television station WVPT. The bee will be held at the WVPT studios in Harrisonburg on March 2. Each day, we will introduce the spellers competing for a spot in this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Cecily Lawton

School: Skyline Middle

Grade: Eighth

Age: 13

Born in: Long Beach, N.Y.

Currently lives in: Harrisonburg

Parents: Laura Henigman and Bill Lawton

Winning or, if runner-up, misspelled word in district bee: Patriarch and electoral (winning words)

Favorite subject: Science. “I want to be a marine biologist, so science is very intriguing to me.”

Career goals: Marine biologist. “Growing up on Long Island, I’ve always been very connected with the ocean and its organisms.”

Hobbies: “I love reading and writing poetry. I also am a musician and I love photography.”

Favorite book or author: J.K. Rowling and Jane Austen. “I absolutely adore the Harry Potter books [by Rowling], as well as the Jane Austen novels.”

Spelling secrets: “I read all the time, and I think that’s helped me to learn new words. Also, when I’m writing, I always spell out every word as I’m writing — even the easy ones. I actually do this pretty subconsciously but I think it’s helped.”

Interesting facts: “I play alto saxophone and cello, and I’m in band and orchestra. This past fall, I was in ‘Alice and Wonderland,’ our school musical, and I played tall Alice. I enjoy acting, playing music and reading.”

Anything else you’d like to say to DN-R readers: “If you want to improve your spelling, you should use the harder words in writing, because it really helps you learn not just how to spell the word, but its definition and how to use it.”

Julia Lawton

School: Skyline Middle

Grade: Fifth

Age: 11

Born in: Harrisonburg

Currently lives in: Harrisonburg

Parents: Laura Henigman and Bill Lawton

Winning or, if runner-up, misspelled word in district bee: Brackish (misspelled “brakish”).

Favorite Subject: English. “I love reading and writing and English gives me a chance to do that.”

Career Goals: Ballerina. “I have been dancing since age 4 and I love it.”

Hobbies: Dancing, reading, swimming, scrapbooking and violin playing.

Favorite book or author: “I loved ‘Summer and Bird’ by Katherine Catmull.”

Spelling Secrets: “My spelling secrets are read a lot and always ask for a definition.”

Interesting Facts: “I want to travel the world. I have family in New York so we go there a lot.”

Anything else you’d like to say to DN-R readers: “Cecily Lawton, the [district] spelling bee winner, is my sister.”