KITCHENER, ON (March 28, 2026)
Grade Six student wins fourth annual ECU Scripps Spelling Bee Regional Final
Following an intensive and exciting Saturday afternoon competition of local elementary and middle school students from across the Waterloo Region and beyond, Arshan Shahriar, a grade six from Gordon A Brown Middle School in East York, has been named the 2026 ECU – A Division of WFCU Credit Union Scripps Spelling Bee Regional Champion, successfully spelling the winning word “stagflation.” With 17 finalists competing, this year’s Bee marked the fourth year the Regional Final was hosted in the Waterloo region. In addition to a six-night, expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the Scripps National Spelling Bee this May, ECU – A Division of WFCU Credit Union (“ECU”) has also awarded Arshan a $200 Educational Scholarship.
The ECU Scripps Regional Spelling Bee was held at the Kitchener Public Library Theatre on Saturday, March 28th and featured Jim Crichton of CTV Windsor fame as the Pronouncer. It was a close and competitive event, going 21 rounds before Arshan successfully spelled his final word and was named champion. Congratulations go to runner-up Addyson Leslie, a grade eight student from St. Andrew’s Senior Public School.
“Providing youth with opportunities for growth and development is an important part of our mission and our commitment to the communities we serve,” said Eddie Francis, President and CEO of WFCU Credit Union. “We’re proud to sponsor Waterloo Region’s Scripps Spelling Bee Regional Final to foster learning and healthy competition in a fun and interactive way. Congratulations to Arshan. We will be rooting for you this May!”
While parent company, WFCU Credit Union, hosted the Southwest Scripps Spelling Bee Regional Final in Windsor for the eighth consecutive year, hosting Waterloo Region’s fourth annual competition demonstrates its commitment to community engagement and to its local ECU membership. As part of the Credit Union’s community engagement program, INSPIRE, the Scripps Spelling Bee Regional Final promotes literacy and language arts in an engaging way. It also aligns with the Credit Union’s mission to support organizations that contribute to community well-being, with particular emphasis on youth, education, and health.
Arshan Shahriar from North York will now move on to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., where he will compete against hundreds of students from around the world. This is Arshan’s third consecutive year winning the ECU Scripps Spelling Bee Regional Final and advancing to the national competition.
In addition to flight and accommodations during the event, and a $200 Educational Scholarship on behalf of ECU, Arshan has also won the following:
- The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online – a one-year subscription to the official word source for all levels of competition for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
- The Britannica Online Premium – a one-year subscription to the premier online resource from Encyclopedia Britannica.
“We were very proud of every student who competed at this year’s Waterloo Region event,” said Beth Ann Prince, Manager, Community Investment, WFCU Credit Union. “Taking the stage took bravery, confidence and concentration. You are all champions and exemplify the spirit of the Bee. I’d also like to thank all of the participating schools and teachers who invested time in the program. We hope to see you again next year!”
*To request media interviews, please contact Beth Ann Prince at bprince@wfcu.ca or 519-564-4275.
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About WFCU Credit Union:
WFCU Credit Union (WFCU) is a leading, progressive financial institution headquartered in Windsor, Ontario since 1940. Proudly serving families, community organizations, small businesses, commercial entities, and public institutions for over 85 years, WFCU is Ontario’s 6th largest credit union and among the top 20 largest in Canada.
Together with its retail divisions, Rapport, ECU, and Health Care, WFCU now operates 24 branches across Ontario from Thunder Bay to Kingston, Toronto to Windsor, and numerous communities in between. WFCU’s 80,000+ members can bank anytime, anywhere through a variety of service channels, including online and mobile banking, live telephone banking, and ATM services.
WFCU ended its fourth quarter* with $6.07 Billion in total assets.
*Numbers as at May 31, 2025.
About Scripps National Spelling Bee:
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program, having launched in 1925. The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. Visit spellingbee.com for more information about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
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For more information, please contact:
Beth Ann Prince
Manager, Community Investment
WFCU Credit Union
519.564.4275
bprince@wfcu.ca
