Oyster Bay Teen To Compete In 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee

OYSTER BAY, NY — Safiullah Sajid, a 7th grader at Locust Valley Middle School, will go up against the best of the best in the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Tuesday.

Since 1925, children across America have participated in local, regional, and school spelling bees, hoping to make it to the big leagues: the Scripps National Spelling Bee. This year, 13-year-old Safiullah will compete against 233 other spellers from around the world at Maryland's National Harbor.

Speaking to Newsday last week at his Oyster Bay home, Safiullah said he was excited about the trip but also aware of the challenges he will soon face.

"I feel excited because I want to meet new people," he told the news outlet. "I'm kind of nervous because there's going to be a lot of smart and intelligent people there. It's going to be a hard competition."

This year, students are representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe. They are also representing four countries outside the U.S.: The Bahamas, Canada, Germany, and Ghana.

This is the Scripps National Spelling Bee's first fully, in-person contest since 2019. The preliminary rounds kick off Tuesday and the finals will be held on June 2. All rounds of competition will be broadcast on ION platforms. The winner will get a cash prize of $50,000.