Whether it's trying out new chords on the violin or learning new words at the counter, Bindi Ray knows practice is the key to her success.
"Well, I've always loved reading and words," she said. "First of all, whenever I say a word that I don't know, I look it up and make sure I know how to spell and the definition of it."
After joining her school spelling club, she went on to win her school bee and later the regional. It earned her a spot at the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee during its centennial celebration.
"I know it's the 100th year, so there's a lot of excitement around that because the Bee's been around so long," Ray said. "I feel like the Bee is important because it helps remind people that words, and learning in general, can be fun."
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She will join more than 240 other students coming from all 50 states, several U.S. territories, and a half-dozen other nations.
Foreign countries are something speller Luke Noblezada is all about, with his hobby of collecting currencies from around the world.
"Here's some Indian money, Argentina, Guyana," he said, as he showed off several bills.
Much like Bindi, Luke also plays an instrument, having picked up playing the trumpet from his dad. His focus now, though, is preparing for the Bee by studying as many words as possible. It's a preparation that also takes him around the world.
"Each [word] has a different origin – from French, some of them from Latin, from Greek," he said.
All of the spellers competing are now part of the century-long legacy of the Bee.
"It stays very true to the heart of what it's always been, which is a bunch of like-minded kids getting together, celebrating academic achievement and celebrating competition too," said Corrie Loeffler, the Bee's director. "That's what makes it fun."
Loeffler does more than just head the Bee – she is also a former Bee participant.
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"It is really a great honor to be leading the Bee into its 100th anniversary, once in a lifetime, honestly, and something that I take very seriously, not just to celebrate everything that's come before, but also looking ahead to the future," she said.
It's a future they hope will keep the Bee going for another 100 years.
You can watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee during a live, two-night event, with the semifinals on May 28 and the finals on May 29. It all starts at 8 p.m. ET on Scripps News and over-the-air on our sister station, Ion Television.
