Lauren Merillana, an eighth grader at Robert Frost Middle School in Bethesda, returns to the Scripps National Spelling Bee stage to try again later this month.
She is one of seven Maryland spellers out of a total of 247 students who will compete for the top honors. This will be her last competition as students are only eligible through eighth grade.
The 14-year-old came in 20th last year, stumbling on the word rendzina, a type of soil, during Round 9.
“Honestly, spelling has been a thing my whole life,” she told MCM a year ago. At that time, the North Potomac resident vowed to take spelling more seriously.
According to her bio on the Scripps website, she “is an avid reader and writer. She has a deep love for music and aesthetics and enjoys singing, dancing and playing the flute and piano. She also enjoys digital design, collecting books, coding and coordinating outfits.
Her favorite musician is Laufey. Her favorite athlete is American figure skater Alysa Liu. Her favorite food is lumpia, a traditional Filipino spring roll.
She hopes to pursue a career in neuroscience.
Merillana is sponsored by The Meakem Group.
The competition begins May 26 and continues to the finals on May 28. It will be held at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
Related Post
Robert Frost Student Finishes 20th in Scripps National Spelling Bee
