Team Sheppard places fifth in Adult Literacy Spelling Bee

  • Published
  • By Debi Smith
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A three-person team from Sheppard participated in the 14th Wichita Falls Adult Literacy Council Spelling Bee Nov. 10 in Wichita Falls, Texas. The annual event increases awareness of a 23 percent illiteracy rate in the county, fosters education and promotes tutoring.

Capt. Jason Klodnicki, 82nd Training Wing Chapel Division, 1st Lt. Jacinto Anderson-Lujano, 82nd TRW SARC and Debi Smith, 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs, placed fifth in a field of 22 teams.

Team leader Captain Klodnicki said he wanted to show his young daughter that learning never stops and even adults participate in spelling bees.

"I volunteered to motivate my 9-year old and came away motivated to learn to spell even better, to really appreciate the gift of reading and how we all play a role in the literacy rate of our communities," he said. "We serve in the military here but it's just as important that we get to participate in great community events like this."

With almost 100 hundred words fielded in a one-hour period, Team Sheppard edged past "carnivore," "Alamo," "trajectory," "zucchini" and "hedonism" to fall to a German-based word, meaning cinnamon pastry or small snail. Pronounced shneh-kuh, it is correctly spelled "schnecke."

1st Lt. Jacinto Anderson-Lujano said she's always been a big advocate of education.

"I was the first in my family to gradute college and believe that furthering my education never stops," she said. "I volunteered to be in this event to represent Sheppard and it's great to see how the Wichita Falls community supports the military. They recognized us and Veteran's Day and thanked us for our service before, during and after the event. We had so much fun."

Team Sheppard has been sponsored for several years by retired Col. Judith Sanders, formerly assigned to the 82nd Medical Group in the 1990s. Though she now calls West Virginia home, she stays connected with her roots in Wichita Falls, the Adult Literacy Council and Team Sheppard through the annual spelling bee.

The event typically raises more than $12,000 toward the non-profit agency's annual budget. Anyone wishing to volunteer, tutor or assist with the Adult Literacy Council can e-mail Sue Gream at walcskillsto@yahoo.com or call (940) 767-5257.