An eighth grader from Kauaʻi is headed to the nation’s capital after winning the 2026 Scripps Hawaiʻi State Spelling Bee.
Ethan Irimata, a student at Hawai‘i Technology Academy in Līhuʻe, captured the state title in March by correctly spelling “impoverish” in the final round.
“We are all so proud of him,” said Jennifer Yang, executive director of the Hawaiʻi State Spelling Bee. “The final moments came down to two contestants. After Irimataʻs opponent misspelled his word, Irimata secured the championship by spelling the final word correctly.”
The win marks a notable comeback for Irimata, who previously advanced to the state level as a fifth-grader but stepped away from competition for a time. He returned this year, initially to support a friend, and worked his way back through the ranks, placing second at the district level before claiming the state title.
Despite the high-pressure setting, Yang described Irimata as “cool as a cucumber” and methodical on stage, relying on a deliberate process of asking for definitions, word origins and parts of speech before answering.
Irimata also traces letters with his finger on his number placard before speaking them aloud.
Irimata describes the experience as both humbling and a bit pressuring because “everybody asks you to spell words, and you’ll have to spell them. They think that since you won the state spelling bee, you can spell any word that they give you, so it’s pressuring.”
Irimata said he is motivated by the challenge and the opportunity to steadily improve.
“Ethan has such a positive attitude and a sincere work ethic,” said his mentor, Robin Worley, a teacher at Hawaiʻi Technology Academy who leads the school’s spelling club.
“The most impressive thing was seeing his growth and his dedication through this entire process.”
Irimata said success often depends on memorization and understanding linguistic patterns. For example, he noted that Spanish words may use “j” for an “h” sound, while French words often include silent letters.
To prepare for the national spelling bee, Irimata says he is “studying the lists, and the words from the given list, because that’s for sure going to be a round that I’ll have to participate in.”
“And I’m also studying the vocabulary for other words on the list because that’ll be the 2nd round,” he explained.
Spelling runs in the Irimata ʻohana, with his father also competed in spelling bees as a student.
“His dad has a very good memory, just like Ethan does,” said Irimataʻs mother, Spence Irimata.
They often practice together, and “that’s how I studied. I memorize the words,” the younger Irimata said.
Spence Irimata said her son could memorize words from books before he was 2 years old.
“And if I would try and retell him the story out of order, he would already correct me,” she said.
“When we’re driving around in the car, he could also memorize lyrics and songs from a very young age, too, and it would amaze us how he could memorize every single phrase and the way that the song was sung, and even tunes. He would be able to hum some tunes that he’d heard just once.”
Beyond spelling, Ethan Irimata is a member of the language club and unwinds by practicing Jiu-Jitsu, which he says helps him to keep calm.
“Like when I go up to the mic, the skills that I learned at jiu-jitsu and the practice that I have at tournaments, it helps me to stay focused when I’m standing at the microphone,” he said.
Yang also emphasized the broader impact of the competition, which she says helps students build confidence, communication skills and poise.
“This is more than just spelling,” Yang said. “Having poise, being able to stand in front of an audience, asking questions, all that is actually much more than spelling the word.”
Yang said it has been a struggle to keep the spelling bee on Kauaʻi going since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. In the past couple of years, she said she has personally funded the program.
“Many times, the teachers are just volunteers,” she said. “I didn’t want this program to die, so I’ve been paying out of pocket to keep it going and to let the kids continue competing.”
Her message to all the students is to “always try something that you’ve never done before, and never think that you can’t do it. You just never know if you can really grow and shine, and that’s the only way you know whether or not you can or can’t do it.
“And no matter what, just do it. You’re already a winner.”
Irimata said he is looking forward to his first trip to Washington, D.C., which includes a special overnight experience at the Smithsonian Institution.
“I am amazed by Ethan,” Irimata’s mother said. “He never stopped surprising us. He’s always loved school, and he’s always respected his teachers and his learning, and from a very early age, he always asked so many questions.
“My husband and I are very proud, and his little sister, Ellie, too, who looks up to him.
It took all of us to raise him from elementary school through middle school. All his grandparents, uncles, and aunts took care of him, and we’re all proud of him.
He just never gives up.”
This year, Scripps Nationals is celebrating 101 years of the spelling bee competition.
Running from May 24 to 29, the competition gives supporters the opportunity to cheer for Imirata and the 300 other students from across the nation who are competing, as the event will be broadcast on Ion Television.
Residents who wish to support or donate to Hawaiʻi Technology Academy may contact Yang by email at hawaiistatespellingbee@gmail.com.
