Loudoun student headed to Scripps National Spelling Bee

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Loudoun County Spelling Bee winner Oviya Amalraj (left) and runner-up Erdem Dolgoon. (Courtesy InsideNova)

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.

Oviya Amalraj, a student at J.Michael Lunsford Middle School in the Chantilly area, won the 41st annual Loudoun County Regional Spelling Bee on March 9.

Amalraj, a sixth-grader, won the competition by correctly spelling “elan,” a noun that means energy, style and enthusiasm. The spelling bee lasted 10 rounds before she took the competition over runner-up Erdem Dolgoon, an eighth-grader at Dayan Academy.

Amalraj will compete in the 95th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.  The event, from May 31 to June 2, will feature more than 200 spellers from across the country.

“I’m very proud of all the participants and wish Oviya the best of luck at the National Spelling Bee,” said acting Superintendent Dr. Daniel Smith. “I’m always awestruck by our young people who, at an early age, are demonstrating a mastery and enthusiasm for the language.”

The Prince William Regional Spelling Bee will be Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at Gar-Field High School, with 45 spellers scheduled to compete.

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