Returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee this year – – especially for its centennial — was a powerful reminder of how much this community has shaped me and why I feel so driven to give back to it. Watching my students and my sister compete took me back to my time on that stage and showed me just how much they’ve grown as spellers and as people over the past year. My sister (and longtime student) Harini, in her fourth Bee, achieved an impressive 4th place finish — her second national top 10 result — and ably carried forward a dream very dear to our family.

All my other Scripps 2025 students — Esha Marupudi, Ved Raju, Kushi Gottimukkala, Rian Camty, and Jyothsana Anandh — made their Nationals debut this year. Esha and Ved placed an impressive 7th and 10th, respectively. Seeing the work they’ve put in and how they performed on such a big stage fills me with great pride. I also want to acknowledge Faizan for his well-deserved and hard-fought win in an especially competitive year.

It was extra special to be at Scripps for its centennial, reconnect with old friends, and celebrate how this community brings together so many passionate and driven young people. I’m grateful to have been part of these journeys and excited to see where their love of words leads them next.

Sharing a few photos from this year’s Bee!

This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee took me back to my days of competing and reinvigorated my desire to remain an active figure in the spelling community. All six of my students, including Shradha Rachamreddy, Avi Randhawa, Ananya Prassanna, Aditi Muthukumar, Faizan Zaki, and my sister, Harini, put on strong performances in the Bee, advancing through the Preliminaries and Quarterfinals to the Semifinals. With exhilarating ups and sobering downs characterizing the flow of the Semifinals, Shradha, Harini, and Avi ended their run tying for 9th place, with Aditi, Ananya, and Faizan advancing to Finals and eventually placing fifth, third, and second, respectively. I’d also like to congratulate Bruhat for an incredible first place finish this year. Incredibly glad that Defining Success played a part in his spelling journey. I’ve seen the hard work my students put into their spelling bee aspirations over the course of the year and I’m glad to see their diligence come to fruition. I’m proud to have played a role in their journeys. Sharing some pictures from this year’s Bee: