While many of her classmates were counting down the end of the school year and the start of summer, Ecker Hill Middle School seventh-grader Sasha Kenlon dedicated an hour each day of spring to studying for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
There was the official list of interesting and unusual words — such as foreign names and obscure dog breeds — along with their definitions, etymologies and origins. The multiple fantasy books and graphic novels the newly minted teenager found herself reading helped, too, not to mention the speed study sessions on the Washington, D.C. MetroRail before. Plus, Kenlon found that she recognized about 20% of the world list from competing in the event last year.
The 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee took place from May 27 to 29 and marked the 100th anniversary of the first bee. Kenlon advanced to the National Spelling Bee in March after reigning as queen of the Park Record Spelling Bee for a second consecutive year, correctly spelling the word “krypton” in the final round.
The Kenlons flew to D.C. a few days before the competition started to spend time with family and explore the museums. Kenlon and her younger brother, Wesley, were particularly excited about the National Air and Space Museum and the International Spy Museum, as well as the original “Old Glory” flag from 1824 at the National Museum of American History.
The family also received a private tour of the Library of Congress through Rep. Blake Moore’s office and enjoyed seeing Thomas Jefferson’s personal library as well as his copy of the “Odyssey.” Kenlon also discovered her new favorite quotation, which Jefferson wrote to John Adams in a letter: “I cannot live without books.”
While the centennial event brought a slew of special activities, including word games presented by charismatic hosts, appearances from past spelling bee winners, signed posters and a commemorative medallion created by the same artist who makes the first-place trophy, the competition also included a few changes from the previous year.
Scripps brought back a 40-question written test based on the dictionary during preliminary rounds for competitors who correctly spelled one word and answered a multiple-choice vocabulary question correctly, which was intended to cull the contestant pool to a manageable size. Organizers also eliminated the polarizing tiebreaker “spell-off” that’s used when a champion has not yet been decided, but the competition has gone on for too long.
Kenlon appeared on the National Spelling Bee stage feeling a bit nervous. She waited as more than 100 spellers received their words; Mom, Trish, said Kenlon’s face lit up when she recognized the words before her. Then, Speller 224 was called.
“Here we go again. Let’s hope I don’t mess up again,” Kenlon remembers thinking to herself, feeling a bit resigned.
The pronouncer gave her word: krewe. Kenlon twisted her face. She remembered seeing it on her word list, but it wasn’t one she connected with. The teenager knew it wasn’t spelled like the homophone, crew, because that would be too easy for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
So, Kenlon did the only thing she could do. She made her best guess.
Kenlon spelled out C-R-E-W-E, and felt fairly confident she was right — until she learned she wasn’t. After she exited the stage, she looked up the definition of her word. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the noun means “a private organization staging festivities (such as parades) during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.”
The middle schooler said she was sad and sulking in her hotel room after being eliminated from the competition in a similar place as last year. Kenlon also wanted to experience the written test so that if she comes back for the 2026 competition, she’d know what to expect.
However, her sullen state didn’t last long when she was invited to play Bananagrams with some other spellers who had exited the competition. The word game reminded her of the fun, care-free side of the competition.
“I think it’s a really great experience for everybody to have. It’s a really good way to participate in competitions at a younger age,” Kenlon said. “It also kind of gives kids an incentive to study words they wouldn’t know otherwise. You learn a lot of cool things.”
Ultimately, Kenlon said she felt relieved that she didn’t have to face the written test because most kids thought it was really hard. Her favorite memory from the trip ended up being the Bee Week Bash glow stick party with the new friends she made. Trish added it was a joy to see her daughter — and all of the other kids — have so much wholesome, educational fun.
Next year, Kenlon hopes to defend her title in the regional spelling bee so she can have another shot at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. After all, it will be the last year she’s eligible.
She’s planning to start studying even earlier and hopes she’ll remember even more words than this year. But even if she doesn’t make it, Kenlon will still have a positive attitude.
“Whoever does make it, they really deserve it. I hope they have fun!” she said.
Park Record owners Tatiana and Matthew Prince revived the junior and regional competition in 2024 after a pandemic-induced hiatus as a way to engage the community. The Princes also paid the travel expenses to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.