This year, there are five students competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee who call Northern Virginia home. The spellers are among 10 from Virginia, and 243 from across the country competing for the title of champion. Prizes include $50,000 from Scripps and $2,500 from Merriam-Webster.
Here are the Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants from NoVA:
Vincent Chu, 14, of Manassas
Chu attends George M. Hampton Middle School. He loves to play tennis and learn new songs on the guitar, and his favorite school subject is math.
Nargiza Muzhapaer, 14, of Merrifield
An eighth grader at Pinnacle Academy, Muzhapaer competed in the 2024 National Spelling Bee and tied for 22nd place. Her hobbies include reading and various forms of needlework, and she is passionate about medical research, with hopes to become a biomedical engineer.
Nikita Ramakrishnan, 14, of Merrifield
Ramakrishnan is an eighth grader at Rocky Run Middle School who has been a serious speller since she was in fifth grade. In her free time, she performs Bharatanatyam (Indian Classical Dance), plays the alto saxophone, and reads mystery and historical fiction novels.
Vikyath Tanamala, 10, of Leesburg
A fifth grader at Seldens Landing Elementary School, Tanamala is an avid reader and a high-yellow belt in tae kwon do. His other passions include swimming and math.
Draven Williams, 14, of Fredericksburg
Williams is an eighth grader at Dixon-Smith Middle School. He enjoys playing baseball and supporting the minor-league Fredericksburg Nationals team. He also draws comics in his spare time and aspires to a career in graphic design.
These accomplished spellers will compete in the preliminaries at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, on May 25, alongside 238 other competitors. The next three segments of the competition are the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the finals, the last of which will take place on May 29.
Viewers can watch the preliminaries and quarterfinals on Bounce XL, and the semifinals and finals will be broadcast on ION.
Feature image of Nikita Ramakrishnan courtesy Karen Bolt/FCPS
