Let's celebrate incredible!
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Bailey Veiga took top honors, competing with 5th through 8th grade students in the TUSD Spelling Bee. Bailey and Golden Hills Elementary School Principal Ron Nachbar share the spotlight here with happy faces. Principal Nachbar said "she is an incredible young lady."
More often than not, according to what we read and see on TV, today's youth appear to be uninterested, uncaring and unwilling to learn. It is refreshing to know, that here in Tehachapi not all of the youth fall in that category. This is the story of a young lady who exemplifies the youth of Tehachapi. Principal Nachbar of Golden Hills Elementary describes her as "an incredible young lady."
Meet Bailey Veiga, a fourth grade student at Golden Hills Elementary School. She won the Tehachapi Unified School District Spelling Bee, going head to head with 5th through 8th grade students, and is in the GATE program at Golden Hills Elementary.
The Veiga family moved to Tehachapi in 2004, relocating from Hanford. Bailey has two brothers, 9 and 6, and a 2-year-old sister. Her father, Mike Veiga, attended the interview along with Principal Ron Nachbar and both were clearly very proud of Veiga.
Bailey appeared poised and self-confident during the interview with not a hint of precociousness. When asked what she would like to do when she grows up, the age-old question all adults ask children, she said she wanted to be a teacher, fashion designer or an artist.
When asked what she would choose, of those three choices, if she were required to make that decision at that moment; she said "a fashion designer, because art would be a part of fashion design and I could do both."
Principal Nachbar interjected at that point, saying "I thought she would choose teacher, thinking that would please her father and me, but she spoke from her heart and kudos to her."
"Bailey thinks outside of the box and has helped me solve problems by looking at a solutions from a different angle," Nachbar said.
"She likes a challenge and actually does extra homework because she enjoys it," her father added.
Veiga said she likes to bake and made and decorated a birthday cake for herself and her brother. She enjoys being outside and likes to finds shooting hoops inspirational.
"I don't like to play basketball," she said. "I just like to go outside at home and shoot baskets, it's when I think."
Veiga said she would like to congratulate everyone who participated in the final "Bee," because just getting to that level was a huge accomplishment for all the contenders.
"I want to thank my friends, Kaitlyn, Barcelona and Lillian for their help while I studied for the Bee; and a special thank you to my teacher, Mrs. Lange, Mr. Nachbar and my parents, for their support and encouragement," she said.
Interviewing Bailey Veiga was like a breath of fresh air and she truly is an incredible young lady.
