Jill Biden Surprises Spelling Bee Winners With Life-Size Versions of Their Winning Words — At the White House

Official White House photo by Erin Scott First Lady Jill Biden welcomes the 2021 and 2022 Spelling Bee Champions to the White House on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, where the winning words are displayed on the South Lawn

First Lady Jill Biden gave the winners of the 2022 and 2021 Scripps Spelling Bee the surprise of a lifetime last week, when she unveiled life-sized cutouts of their winning words on the South Lawn in front of the White House.

Harini Logan and Zaila Avant-Garde, the 2022 and 2021 Scripps Spelling Bee Champions, received a tour of the White House last week. During their visit, Dr. Biden — a longtime fan of the spelling bee and an English teacher of more than 30 years — surprised the two with life-sized cutouts of their winning words: "murraya" and "moorhen."

The White House tells PEOPLE that Dr. Biden met the girls and their families in the Jackie Kennedy Garden, out of view of the South Lawn, before leading them toward the life-sized letters in front of the White House. "Both families joked that this would easily become their holiday card photo this year," the source tells PEOPLE.

RELATED: 2021 National Spelling Bee Champ Zaila Avant-garde Makes History as First Black American Winner

Avant-Garde, who hails from Jefferson Parish in Louisiana, won the spelling bee in 2021 at age 14 — making history as the first Black American to hold the title of national spelling bee champion.

Chatting with PEOPLE after her win, she said, "I want to inspire everybody, especially African American girls."

Logan, who is from San Antonio, Texas, won the spelling bee in 2022 at age 14, taking home the title following the first ever lightning-round tie-breaker, during which she correctly spelled 21 words during a 90-second spell-off.

Dr. Biden, a longtime supporter of the competition, paid a visit to the Scripps National Spelling Bee participants last year, telling the young spellers that she understood firsthand the nerves they were likely experiencing.

"In sixth grade I was my school's spelling bee champion," Dr. Biden shared in opening remarks delivered ahead of the competition. "I had a chance to go to the next level, but on the day of the regional competition, I told my mother that I was sick. The truth was that I was too nervous to go, so I have incredible admiration for each and every one of you."

RELATED: Jill Biden Surprises the National Teacher of the Year on TV (with Flowers!)

A longtime educator and an instructor at Northern Virginia Community College, Dr. Biden is the first first lady to maintain a full-time job while carrying out her White House duties.

As first lady, she has acted as an advocate for education, visiting schools around the country and speaking about her duel roles.

Speaking to Today recently, the first lady touched on the importance of inspiring future educators.

"What we need to do now is encourage younger people to come into the profession," Dr. Biden said, "and also teachers of color. We need a lot more teachers of color."