Students to compete in Mississippi State Spelling Bee finals

Three outstanding students from the Oxford School District – Diya Jobin, Raymond Sang and Sagan Karthikeyan – have secured spots in the upcoming Mississippi State Spelling Bee after achieving remarkable success in the county spelling bee and the subsequent online semifinals.

Having clinched first, second and third positions in the county spelling bee held in January, the talented spellers went on to excel in the online semifinals, where they earned a place among the Top 23 contestants. The online semifinals, a new addition to the competition this year, showcased the prowess of the top spellers from each county, turning it into a fierce and high-stakes contest.

The Mississippi State Spelling Bee is scheduled to take place Saturday, March 2, at 9:30 a.m. on the Mississippi University for Women (MUW) campus in Columbus. The three-day event promises intense competition as the spellers vie for the coveted title.

In anticipation of the event, the Oxford spelling champs and their families will arrive in Columbus on the Friday of the event. The spellers will partake in a series of “welcome to the campus” activities and will also be treated to a tour of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee program in Mississippi has experienced significant growth during the past three years, with 317 schools from 42 counties participating. An impressive 8,000 students in grades 3 through 8 engaged in competitive spelling, progressing through classroom, grade, school, district and county bees to reach the state level.

The online platform provided by Scripps played a crucial role in expanding participation, allowing more students to compete at a higher level of difficulty. Despite facing challenges such as winter weather, school closures and technical issues, 120 spellers successfully completed the online semifinals. The top 21 spellers from this round will now showcase their spelling and vocabulary skills on the state stage.

As the Mississippi State Spelling Bee approaches, Oxford School District officials, teachers, staff and students said they wished their spellers the best of luck in representing the school and community.