Laasya Mohan has a study routine: first, the fourth grader at Floris Elementary School sorts spelling words by topic. Then, she further divides them into two lists — the ones she feels sure that she knows how to spell, and ones she feels unsure of. She examines the roots of words and considers language patterns. Finally, her mom quizzes her.
The intense process often lasts five hours a day — but it has paid off.
After taking first place honors at the Fairfax County Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, earlier this spring, Mohan will put her skills to the test next week at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in D.C.
Televised on the Scripps Sports and ION networks, starting with preliminary rounds at 8 a.m. on Tuesday (May 26), the competition will pit Mohan against 246 other champions from across the U.S. and five other countries.
“I’m thankful for my friends for encouraging me and coming to watch me, and my principal, and my family, and the Fairfax County Council of PTAs,” said Mohan.
She will be joined at the national competition by Fairfax County spelling bee runner-up Aadhya Vijayakumar, an eighth-grader at Rocky Run Middle School in Chantilly.
Both maintain busy schedules outside of studying for spelling bees. Vijayakumar participates in track and field as well as math competitions, while Mohan does dance, tennis, and swimming.
But both have also spent years training for this moment. Vijayakumar’s first spelling bee was in first grade. When she competed again in fourth grade, she landed in third place.
“It really sparked the flame for spelling for me,” said Vijayakumar.
Mohan’s first spelling bee was also in first grade. When she returned for the competition in second grade, she placed 21st.
“After that, I wanted to study more than just the school list,” she told FFXnow. “So, my parents found a bunch of other competitions, and I participated in them. In third grade, I won my school bee and came third in county. And that summer I won a national junior competition as well.”
In the days leading up to the national bee, both students will continue to study as much as they can—words like “uilleann pipes” and “gedankenexperiment.” Both said they’re grateful to have the opportunity to compete.
“I’m really thankful for like everyone who’s helped me throughout this journey, like the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, who helped sponsor, and my family and librarian, who’ve really helped me study on this journey,” said Vijayakumar.
Held at a new venue this year, the DAR Constitution Hall, the Scripps National Spelling Bee will unfold over three days, leading up to the finals at 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 28. Last year’s winner — 13-year-old Faizan Zaki from Dallas, Texas — triumphed by spelling “éclaircissement” after nearly throwing his chance by flubbing an earlier word.
In addition to a prestigious title, this year’s bee champion will receive a $50,000 cash prize, a commemorative medal, the official Scripps Cup and prizes from Merriam-Webster, Encyclopædia Britannica and Delta Airlines. Their school is also awarded commemorative plaques, a $1,000 donation from Scholastic and a five-year subscription to the online library News-O-Matic.
