PRINCE GEORGE'S CO. MD. — A 5th grade student from Heather Hills Elementary School is heading to the Scripps National Spelling Bee after winning the Prince George's County competition.
Abigail Adegbite secured her spot at the national competition by correctly spelling "fluoride" in the final round of the county bee, an intense 10-round competition featuring participants between 10 and 14 years old.
"I did my school spelling bee last year, but I didn't do very well," Abigail said.
Now a champion, she will compete against 243 other spellers at National Harbor this week as the Scripps National Spelling Bee celebrates its 100th year.
When asked what she's most excited about, Abigail's answer was straightforward.
"Getting on stage and just getting my word, spelling it," she said.
Her ambitions for the competition are clear.
"I just really hope I win the spelling bee," Abigail said.
Beyond spelling, Abigail likes to read, crochet, play tennis, and play UNO with her siblings.
Abigail is also participating in the production of "The Lion King"—she's playing Nala, one of the leading roles, suggesting stage fright won't be an issue during the spelling competition.
The young student also dreams of visiting her family's homeland.
"Nigeria is my home country. It's where I'm from, and I've never visited before, so I really want to look at it, see it one day," Abigail said.
Looking toward her future career, Abigail has already set her sights on a profession where she can help others.
"So my thought right now is to be a nutritionist," she said.
"Just like telling people like what to eat and not to eat, like what's healthy for them, what's good for their health at that specific moment," Abigail explained.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee begins on May 27.
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