After 18 intense rounds of competition, Newton County Schools (NCS) has crowned its 2025 Spelling Bee champion. 

Livingston Elementary School fifth-grader Cadyn Gray emerged victorious, securing the title by correctly spelling “centipede.” 

The runner-up, Audrey Fuller, an eighth grader from Cousins Middle School, came in second after misspelling “placards.” The two students battled head-to-head for several rounds before Gray clinched the win.

The annual district-wide spelling bee was held on Friday, Jan. 24, at the Porter Performing Arts Center. Champions from each of Newton County’s elementary and middle schools competed for top honors as the school system’s best speller.

Gray shared that preparation and perseverance were key to his success. 

“I prepared for the Bee by studying all of the words on my Word Club app. If I got the word wrong, I wrote it down 10 times and then me and my mom would go over it,” said Gray. 

Reflecting on his past experience in last year’s competition, he added, “I was in the Bee last year but got out when I made a mistake on ‘dynasty.’ Once I got that wrong, I realized I needed to practice smarter and harder. I knew I had to work a little bit harder and focus. My mom helped me study.”

When asked about his emotions during the competition, Gray expressed confidence. 

“I was never nervous because my mom told me to be brave once and I did. I followed her instructions,” he said. Grateful for his mother’s support, Gray added, “My mom is everything to me.”

Gray’s excitement about winning was unmistakable. 

“I am so excited I could do a backflip!” he exclaimed after the bee. 

Looking ahead, he shared his aspirations, saying he not only plans to prepare diligently for the regional competition but also hopes to one day compete in the national spelling bee.

As the district’s spelling bee winner and runner-up, both Gray and Fuller will represent NCS in the Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Conyers-Rockdale Library.

Dr. Duke Bradley, III, superintendent of NCS, attended the event and was impressed by the students’ performances. 

“Watching Cadyn and Audrey battle round after round was truly inspiring,” said Bradley. “Both students demonstrated remarkable poise and skill. They represent the very best of Newton County Schools, and I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.”