News from the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Jerald ’27 joined 230 spellers from every state and many U.S. territories for the Scripps National Spelling Bee at Gaylord National Convention Center this week. In rounds 1 and 2, Jerald successfully spelled boudin and picked the right definition for flexitarian, words from a list the spellers were given to study. Rounds 3 and 4 expanded to words off the list, and Jerald correctly spelled embalmment and isogloss. In round 5, Jerald picked the correct definition for ratatouille, which advanced him to the semi-finals, the furthest any STA student has advanced to in the competition. In round 6, Jerald misspelled revehent, which was a challenging word with three different pronunciations. He finished the national bee tied for 22nd place.

Jerald has shined on and off the stage, conducting many press interviews, including one with NBC4. Scripps also featured Jerald in a video with greetings from First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and other spellers singing a rendition of “America the Beautiful,” which showcased his talent as this year’s head chorister, and highlights from day 3 of the competition.

The fourth STA student to make an appearance at the bee, Jerald joins an esteemed spelling club with fellow Bulldogs William Cho ’20 (2016 contestant), Teddy Palmore ’23 (2019 contestant), and Charlie Palmore ’26 (2022 contestant).

Enjoy many of the special moments at the bee and at school as the Bulldogs watched one of their own compete. Many thanks to Jerald’s spelling coach Mr. Miller for keeping the community updated on his progress throughout the week. Enjoy the photos and videos!