Alexander Castillo, 4th Grade, Lipscomb Elementary School, Gavin Cruse, 4th Grade, Mount Olive Elementary School; and Kelsey Causey, 4th Grade, Pleasant Grove Elementary School, were the top three winners in the Jefferson County Spelling Bee. UAB will hold the Alabama State Spelling Bee in March. (JeffCo Ed Photo)
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Each year, hundreds of schools from across the state participate in spelling bees leading up to this final competition. Fifty-two students in fourth through eighth grades will compete for the Alabama State Spelling Bee Champion title.
The Alabama State Spelling Bee is sponsored by the Alabama Kiwanis Foundation. The bee is also supported by Scripps, as well as hundreds of schools across the state.
This will be the fourth year UAB has hosted the competition. The private event will be held in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences’ University Hall auditorium, with check-in for students starting at 10 a.m. The bee will begin at noon.
Due to seating limitations, this event is not open to the public, though the student’s family members, teachers and school administrators may attend in support of their local student.
The winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Spelling Bee to be held May 27-29 in the Washington, D.C., area. The broadcast schedule for the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals will be announced May 1.
Last year’s Alabama Spelling Bee winner was Ayden Nguyen, 11, of Enterprise, Alabama, who correctly spelled “dysphagia” to win the 2024 title. Competing in the national competition, Ayden made it to the quarterfinals, finishing 60th of 240 spellers.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the National Spelling Bee began in 1925 when nine newspapers joined together to host a spelling bee.
