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Two Fairfax County students will compete against 246 other champions at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., following years of preparation and success in local competitions.
Laasya Mohan, a fourth grader at Floris Elementary School, earned her place by winning the 2026 Fairfax County Spelling Bee earlier this spring. County runner-up Aadhya Vijayakumar, an eighth grader at Rocky Run Middle School in Chantilly, will join her at the national competition.
Mohan sometimes studies for five hours a day. She organizes words by topic, separates those she knows from those she finds uncertain, examines word roots and language patterns, and then has her mother quiz her.
She thanked her friends, principal, family and the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, which sponsored the county bee, for supporting her.
Both students began competing in spelling bees in first grade. Vijayakumar returned in fourth grade and placed third, an experience she said “really sparked the flame for spelling” for her.
Mohan placed 21st as a second grader, prompting her to study beyond her school’s word list and enter additional competitions. In third grade, she won her school bee, finished third at the county level and captured a national junior competition title that summer.
Their preparation continues alongside other activities. Vijayakumar participates in track and field and math competitions, while Mohan pursues dance, tennis and swimming.
As the national bee approaches, they are studying challenging entries such as “uilleann pipes” and “gedankenexperiment.” Vijayakumar credited her family, librarian and the Fairfax County Council of PTAs with helping her prepare throughout the journey.
The competition begins with preliminary rounds at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, and will be televised on Scripps Sports and ION. Contestants from across the United States and five other countries will compete over three days at the event’s new venue, DAR Constitution Hall.
The finals are scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday, May 28.
The previous champion, 13-year-old Faizan Zaki of Dallas, won by correctly spelling “éclaircissement” after nearly losing his opportunity with an earlier mistake.
This year’s winner will receive $50,000, a commemorative medal, the Scripps Cup and prizes from Merriam-Webster, Encyclopædia Britannica and Delta Airlines. The champion’s school will receive commemorative plaques, a $1,000 Scholastic donation and a five-year News-O-Matic subscription.