Jay County eighth-grader heads to Scripps National Spelling Bee

JAY COUNTY — Seven Hoosier students are getting ready for their moment at the microphone as they prepare to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

"I am excited for the opportunity that I've been given to experience going to a different state and also getting to socialize with different students as well," Noemi Galan said.

Noemi is an 8th grader at St. Michael Catholic School. She's from the town of Red Key in Jay County. She won her regional spelling bee sponsored by Ball State University just weeks ago.

"I was very very excited when that happened it was a big deal to me," Galan said.

Noemi is one of 234 students that will compete in this year's bee which is back fully in person for the first time since 2019.

"It's very shocking. It was really cool when we did a zoom with the other winners and there was a chat going on at the same time and they were saying what state they were from, it was cool to see everybody say this state and this state," Makisha Galan, Noemi's mom said.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee begins on May 31 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center just outside of Washington D.C.

Organizers are planning brand new Bee Week opportunities for spellers which include everything from fun and relaxing activities to a coding academy and creative writing workshop.

Students will also get the chance to go on tours of Washington DC.

"It would be amazing to win but I am so grateful to have the opportunity to get this far because I definitely wasn't seeing myself getting to Scripps at all. So just going there makes me happy," Galan said.