CONGRATULATIONS to my students Zaila Avant-Garde of Harvey, Louisiana and Dean Alkhairy of Tustin, California for their stellar performances in the 2020 Mission Spelling Bee today!

• Zaila placed 1st out of 2020 Scripps-eligible spellers, and 2nd overall
• Dean placed 2nd out of 2020 Scripps-eligible spellers, and 3rd overall

Also, congrats to Shourav Dasari — the overall champion.

Now it’s back to training and improving for the next Bee!

Zaila spells in the 2019 Scripps Bee. (@Basketballasart / Twitter)

Dean spells in the 2019 Scripps Bee. (Mark Bowen / Scripps National Spelling Bee)