Naomi Alvarado Monterrosa, her family, and her Spanish teacher, Maritza Estrada. Photo credit: Naomi Alvarado Monyerrosa. APS ©
Atlanta Public Schools is celebrating a standout academic achievement after Naomi Alvarado Monterrosa, a rising sixth-grader at Morris Brandon Elementary School, placed ninth in the 2025 National Spanish Spelling Bee, held July 12 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Naomi, a Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program student at Morris Brandon Elementary School, earned her place on the national stage by winning the inaugural Georgia Spanish Spelling Bee earlier this year. The statewide competition, hosted by Clayton County Public Schools on March 29, brought together 21 students from across Georgia. Naomi emerged as the Grand Champion and was among the top three spellers invited to compete nationally.
“We are incredibly excited and happy with Naomi’s outstanding participation and achievement at the national level,” said Dr. Margaret McKenzie, director of the Multilingual Programs & Services Department at APS. “Her success is a testament to her talent and the effectiveness of our Dual Language Immersion program, which provides students with profound bilingual and biliterate skills.”
The National Spanish Spelling Bee, now in its 14th year, was created to promote bilingualism and cultural literacy among fourth-grade to eighth-grade students. Naomi’s performance marks a significant milestone not just for Morris Brandon Elementary but for the state of Georgia, which made its debut at the national event this year.
Her preparation was supported by her fifth-grade Spanish teacher Ms. Maritza Estrada, and reinforced by the DLI program at Morris Brandon Elementary, one of nine schools in the district that offer dual language instruction.
Naomi’s family traveled with her to New Mexico, thanks to a coordinated fundraising effort led by Morris Brandon Elementary School principal Jay Bland and the school community.
Naomi will continue her dual-language studies at Sutton Middle School this fall as part of her ongoing academic journey.