MORENO VALLEY - Her dad told her to relax and have fun—a game plan that helped Aisha Randhawa from Corona-Norco Unified School District claim victory for the second year in a row on Wednesday at the 40th Annual Riverside County Spelling Bee.

“My dad said it’s not the end of the world if I don’t win,” said the sixth grade student from Garretson Elementary School. “I was really happy about it, though. The other spellers were really good and the words were getting harder.”

Aisha correctly spelled schooner, a fore and aft rigged boat that has at least two masts, to finish the contest after 19 rounds and three hours at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center. Twenty-seven students participated in this year’s bee.

Aisha will represent Riverside County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee held beginning May 27th at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland. She finished in the top 50 at last year’s national event.

Story Date: February 27, 2017