Monticello eighth-grade student wins southeast Utah regional spelling bee

Jocelyn Francom, an eighth-grade student at Monticello High school is the 2022 regional spelling bee champion.
Francom clinched the title with a correct spelling of "pendulous."
The 2022 Southeast Education Service Center (SESC) Spelling Bee was held at Green River High School on March 10.
The SESC Regional Spelling Bee is a local competition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee open to all students grades 4-8 in the Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan School Districts, as well as the Pinnacle Canyon Academy and Moab Charter Schools.
The competition included 14 fantastic spellers from grades four through eight representing the southeastern Utah schools.
In order to qualify for the regional spelling bee, students competed in school level bees and placed in the top of their district spelling bees.
San Juan District representatives included Jocelyn Francom (eighth grade), Nicole Francom (eighth grade), and Luke Jeppesen (seventh grade).
At the SESC Regional Bee, Jocelyn Francom led the way, finishing first. The second-place speller was Aly Bryner, an eighth-grade student at Mont Harmon Middle School in the Carbon School District.
Jethro Denton, a fourth-grade student Bruin Point Elementary in the Carbon School District was the third-place winner.
Jocelyn Francom will represent southeastern Utah at the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, MD from May 29 through June 3, 2022.
The Southeast Education Service Center sends their thanks to the school spelling bee coordinators, parents, and administrators for supporting the regional bee.
A special thanks to Jessie Magleby, Head of Adult Services for Grand County Library, our spelling bee pronounce, and our SESC judges JoLynn Torgerson and Johnna Boyack.