Five Tennesseans to compete in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee

Sydney Satterwhite, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

The 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place May 31-June 2. The competition is divided into four parts: the preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. All rounds of the competition can be watched on ION Plus and Bounce XL platforms. This year, 234 spellers ranging from ages 7-15 will be competing.

Of those spellers, five hail from Tennessee. Akhil S. Giddaluri, Ariel Alhouwari, Armaan Jyoush Singhvi, Jonathan Daniel Kelly and Miriam Elizabeth Campfield will all be competing this year.

PREVIOUS TENNESSEE CONTESTANTS: Meet the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants from Tennessee

SPELLING BEE CHAOS: This word causes the most spelling chaos in Tennessee

Akhil S. Giddaluri (speller #128) is an eighth grader at the McCallie School in Chattanooga. He previously won the Zone Spelling Bee in February. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games with friends, playing sports, reading, listening to music and playing the violin.

Ariel Alhouwari (speller #133) is a fifth grader at White Station Elementary School in Memphis. Her interests include drawing, listening to music and creative writing. Additionally, she loves books and the English language.

Armaan Jyoush Singhvi (speller #182) is a fifth grader at Harding Academy in Nashville. In March, Armaan won the regional Tennessee Titans spelling bee held at Nissan Stadium. In addition to being a spelling bee champion, he was also crowned the Elementary School Chess State Champion. In his free time, he enjoys reading, golfing and playing tennis.

The "Scripps Cup," the first custom-designed trophy for the spelling bee's 90-year history on display during the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The "Scripps Cup," the first custom-designed trophy for the spelling bee's 90-year history on display during the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Jonathan Daniel Kelly (speller #173) is an eighth grader at Brighton Middle School in Brighton. He was the runner-up at the regional Tennessee Titans spelling bee in March. In his free time, Jonathan likes to read, listen to music, fence, play board games, and talk. He also enjoys public speaking.

Miriam Elizabeth Campfield (speller #196) is an eighth grader at Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Knoxville. She loves reading and watching documentaries. She also enjoys mysteries and sci-fi films. Outside of spelling bees, she is a Cadette Girl Scout who recently earned her Silver award. In her free time, she loves to have sleepovers with her friends.

If one of these contestants were to win, it would be Tennessee's first winner since 1995 (Justin Tyler Carroll). They would also become Tennessee's eighth overall winner. The competition will be held in Maryland at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. Tickets are not available to the general public.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennesseans competing in 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee