MPE Principal Laurie Taylor with Hannah Wood and Ben Mason

Ben Mason, a 6th grader at Merriman Park Elementary, has advanced to the Regional Spelling Bee after winning the MPE contest and earning the top spot of all Lake Highlands area contenders at the district competition. There to cheer him on were Hannah Wood, the MPE 5th grader serving as alternate, along with MPE Principal Laurie Taylor and Instructional Specialist Sue Stuller.

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Ben is the third of three boys, in fact his older brother, Matt, was Forest Meadow’s spelling bee alternate and could have been competing against him if the stars had been aligned just so. (Mom, Kelly, is glad she didn’t have to choose sides.) Ben is an athlete, and he likes Harry Potter and playing guitar. Click here to see a story we did here on the blog in 2009 about Ben as a Junior Bell Boy.

Ben and the 3 other area winners from the RISD will move on to Regionals on Thursday, February 24th at UTD at 7 pm. Congratulations and good luck!

Author

  • Carol Toler

    Blogger CAROL TOLER and her husband, Toby, are the parents of four LHHS graduates. She has an MBA from SMU and is the proud recipient of the Exchange Club of LH's Unsung Hero Award and Councilman McGough's Blake Anderson Public Service Award. She received LHHS PTA's Extended Service Award, FMJH PTA's Charger Award and a Life Membership from the LHFC PTA. She has moderated candidate debates for Dallas Mayor, Dallas City Council and RISD Trustee races and taught seminars on garnering publicity for nonprofits. She completed training with Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation and Inside RISD, and she's a sustaining member of LH Women's League. She has served on the boards of After8 to Educate, Dallas Free Press, Healing Hands Ministries and Camp Sweeney and chaired fundraisers for multiple Dallas nonprofits. Email ctoler@advocatemag.com.