Alaska Middle Schoolers’ Journey at Scripps National Spelling Bee Ends

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Two promising middle schoolers from Alaska concluded their journey at the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Tuesday night.

Majo Hernandez-Zamora from Homer and Elden Wier from Fairbanks emerged as the state’s representatives among a total of 243 spellers, aged 8 to 14, competing at National Harbor, Maryland. The 13-year-olds excelled, advancing through the initial rounds, which featured a vocabulary assessment. However, their fortunes changed in the third round, which required them to complete a challenging written test.

Despite their best efforts, both contestants were unable to proceed past this stage, resulting in a tie for 100th place among the participants, with 99 spellers moving forward in the competition.

The event showcased the exceptional talent of young spellers, and both Hernandez-Zamora and Wier demonstrated great skill and determination. Their performance is commendable, representing Alaska on such a prestigious stage, and they are poised to take this experience as a stepping stone for future endeavors.

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