Baltimore County elementary school student excited to compete in National Spelling Bee
Spelling supremacy reigns at Riderwood Elementary in Baltimore County as Amelia 'Bindi' Ray heads from Towson to the National Harbor to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Ray qualified by winning her school competition and acing the regional spelling test, which featured two students from her school.
She told WJZ that she knows how to spell about 5,000 words, and she isn't stopping there.
"When you first see a word, it can be hard, but if you look at it and look at it again, it becomes very easy," Ray said. "Sometimes you don't realize that's happening."
Her favorite word is chlorofluorocarbon. She said it may sound complex, but by breaking it down into three parts, she can identify similar words and spell it out.
The most difficult word she's learned is Tlingit, pronounced [Kling-kit], because it begins with a silent "T."
From spelling club to national bee
Ray joined the spelling club at her school, which was started in 2024 by her writing teacher, Heather Buchman, and funded by the Riderwood Elementary School Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
With more interest again this school year, Buchman continued to host club meetings during lunch periods. Little did Ray or her teacher know, the club would turn into a passion and a trip to the national competition.
"I like learning about words and their origins and how different things, like origin part of speech, affects words," Ray explained.
Making it to the National Spelling Bee
Ray competed in her class and school spelling bee. After sweeping both, she took the regional spelling test.
In April, she found out the good news while in class with Buchman.
"I heard the email ding, and I glanced at it, and then I saw that it said, 'Congratulations, Bindi Ray,' and I sort of lost my mind," Buchman said.
She said the entire class exploded with excitement, including Buchman doing victory laps around the school.
Ray's mother, Dr. Sandhini Ray, also received the email at work and called the school to confirm it was true.
Ray said she was excited, and her victory celebration included a trip to get a Happy Meal.
"Bindi, you won. You won in the regionals. Did you know? And she goes, 'Yes, I did, mommy.'" And then she said, 'You got to take me to McDonald's today. I want a Happy Meal. I earned it,'" Dr. Ray said.
"My mommy was really happy. She got me McDonald's," Ray recalled.
Dr. Ray said her daughter has always loved learning.
This moment to see her daughter shine didn't come easily, though. In the last few years, Ray lost her father and her grandmother, who was her best friend.
"My children have lost more than most adults do in a very short time. They have rebounded from, you know, the abyss of tragedies to be reaching extreme heights. This is her Mount Everest that she's climbing," Dr. Ray said.
The entire Riderwood Elementary community is thrilled for Ray, who is putting a spotlight on education in Baltimore County.
"She shines a light on how wonderful this school system can be, but especially this school community," Buchman said.
Now, this competition is a moment to celebrate amid loss. For Ray, it's about reviving a lost art of linguistics and writing.
"I feel like with all the speller checks that are everywhere nowadays, people don't really care about spelling and even grammar anymore, but the spelling bee helps remind people how fun spelling and words could be," Ray explained.
When is the Scripps National Spelling Bee?
The national competition will be held from May 27 through May 29 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
According to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website, there are nine other competitors from Maryland.
Quint Karisson, 13, of Annapolis
June Keatley, 11, of Baltimore
Su Hlaing, 14, of Bethesda
Bavta Dwivedi, 13, of Columbia
Chase Camuti, 12, of Frederick
Aidan Cobos, 14, of La Plata
Conor Keighley-Reinhardt, 15, of Princess Anne
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