Ready for state

After producing two state champions since 2013, Curry County has its representative ready to compete at the New Mexico Spelling Bee this month.

Porter Kidd, 11, won the Curry County Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word cotswold — an English breed of large sheep. The next step for the fifth-grader is the statewide contest on Saturday.

His parents are Jessy and Bryce Kidd.

Porter attends Mesa Elementary School in Clovis where his favorite subject is social studies. He said he likes social studies more than history because what people do is more important than past events by themselves. He also likes Legos because he wants to become an architect, in addition to writing.

He also enjoys competitive swimming and takes piano lessons. His favorite book is "Hatchet" by Gary Paulson, and his favorite movie is "Interstellar."

When asked about the importance of good spelling skill, Porter had a simple but profound answer: Good spelling can lead to a good vocabulary.

He aims to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., but knows that doesn't happen without winning the state bee.