BRIDGEPORT – Years of hard work and perseverance paid off for eighth grader Brett Kuprowicz from Bridgeport Middle School when he won first place at the Belmont County Spelling Bee Feb. 13. He will realize a long-time ambition to represent the area at the Scripps National Spelling Bee May 27-29.
Kuprowicz is heading to Washington D.C. to do the county proud. This was his fourth time competing at the county level and the first time taking the top slot. Kuprowicz said he stepped on stage with confidence but knew if this dream was to come true, it would have to happen now.
“This was my last year, so I knew to win I had to be confident in myself and study hard. It’s very exciting that I get to go to D.C.,” he said.
“I remember my second-to-last word was ‘eucalyptus,’ and it took me a while to think about that one, and there were some other words that were like that too. Overall, I was confident, but there were some challenging words that were hard to get through.”
He recalled the moment he knew he had won.
“It was great. All my hard work paid off.”
Since his first spelling bee in the fifth grade, he resolved one day he would go all the way to nationals.
“When I made it to the county bee for the first time, I thought it was a really nice opportunity,” he said. “Just studying for the ultimate goal to make it to D.C., it’s nice to prepare for something you really want to do. I challenge myself on some of the harder words. Every year got closer and closer, and this year I finally made it.”
He is looking forward to the national stage where he will meet and go up against the best spellers in and outside of the country.
“I’m definitely going to study a lot harder, because this one’s very important, and this is probably going to be my last spelling bee,” he said. “It’s going to be fun trying to compete against other spellers, but I’m going to do the best that I can.”
He advises up-and-coming young spellers to never give up.
“Find out what strategy works best for you, because there’s lots of things you can do to prepare yourself.”
He is grateful for the support of his family, the school, and his Talented and Gifted teacher, Arleen Keller.
“She was really confident in me and she was there at the bee, and she was excited to see me win,” he said.
“One of the reasons I made it this far is I was encouraged by my parents,” he said. “They wanted to see me succeed and they helped to push me to be the best that I could be.”
His mother, Jessica Kuprowicz, was in the audience for the spelling bee when her son became the third Bridgeport student to win the top spot and compete in nationals.
“He made history,” she said.
“It was very exciting. This is year four for him and he wanted to take it all and he did it,” she said. “He wanted to make his school district proud.”
She said her son’s determination saw him through.
“Brett is a very competitive person and he doesn’t stop,” she said. “He wanted it, and he studied his butt off for it and he came out on top.”
She works as an administrative assistant at Bridgeport Elementary and sees the encouraging environment firsthand.
“I think that his teachers played a huge part in why he was successful,” she said.
“There is so much support here,” she said. “It’s a blessing to work here. We love being Bulldogs.”
Bridgeport Middle School Principal Anne Haverty Lawson had high praise for Kuprowicz.
“Brett’s hard work and dedication to academic excellence have been evident throughout his years of participation in both district and county spelling bees, competing consistently from fifth through eighth grades. This remarkable achievement has earned Brett the opportunity to represent our school and community on a national stage as he advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., this May. We are confident that his perseverance and commitment will continue to shine as he prepares for this prestigious competition.
“Congratulations, Brett! The entire Bridgeport Middle School family stands behind you, cheering you on as you take the next step in this incredible journey.”
Superintendent Brent Ripley said they were all proud of Kuprowicz.
“He has worked incredibly hard for four years, and that says a lot not just of his work ethic, but his perseverance,” he said. “He’s a fine young man with a great family, and any time you have a great kid, with a great family, a positive kid who embraces working hard, you see the potential of what can happen. In this case, Brett crushed it.”
Ripley looks forward to sending more champions to the Scripps Spelling Bee in the coming years.
Kuprowicz will be heading to Washington D.C. with his mother, his father, Noah Kuprowicz, and sister Hannah.
