Insider’s Guide to the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee – Washington D.C.

Today many spellers were able to leisurely enjoy the sights of Washington D.C. In past years, my family has gone to the National Archives, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Natural History Museum. Last year, thanks to Congressman John Yarmuth of KY, we visited the White House and enjoyed a private tour of the Capitol Building.

This year, we decided to take the water taxi from National Harbor to the National Mall. We enjoyed the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. It was a good day to relax and reflect on the past year and plan for the year ahead – there is yet so much more to learn and I’m excited to begin the journey again but first I’m going to take a much needed break!

Tonight I look forward to the Awards Banquet and the party afterwards!

Insider’s Guide to the 2017 National Spelling Bee – A champion is declared!

The 2017 Scripps Spelling Bee champion is Ananya Vinay of Fresno, CA.  Ananya was letter-perfect through 34 rounds. The winning word was marocain, a ribbed crepe fabric used in women’s clothing.

Congratulations also to Rohan Rajeev, an eighth grader from OK, who was the runner-up in this year’s Bee.