Students compete at UK College of Education’s Big Blue Bee March 29
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 25, 2025) — The nerves and excitement of competing in a spelling bee will take center stage Saturday at the University of Kentucky College of Education’s regional Big Blue Bee.
The public is invited to cheer on top spellers from across the Central Kentucky region as school champions in first through eighth grade compete for the 2025 regional title. The winner will advance to the Scripps Cup national competition in Washington, D.C.
The event offers a chance to witness the skill, determination and poise of some of Kentucky’s brightest spellers as they tackle challenging words in pursuit of a championship.
The Big Blue Bee is 1 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at the UK Gatton Student Center’s Ballroom A. The event is free, but requires a ticket, which is available online.
In addition to 40 students from across Central Kentucky, the Big Blue Bee will feature:
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Emcee: Evelyn Schultz, anchor/reporter, LEX 18 News
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Pronouncer: Christopher Reese, director of educator preparation, UK College of Education
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Head Judge: Sydney DeLong, executive producer, LEX 18 News
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Judge: Silas House, New York Times best-selling author, Kentucky Poet Laureate for 2023-24 and associate professor of Appalachian Studies/National Endowment for the Humanities Chair in Appalachian Studies, Berea College.
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Judge: Jacqueline Hamilton, Ed.D., English professor, Eastern Kentucky University
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Manual recorder: Melissa McCaughan, student affairs officer, UK College of Education
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Audio recorder: Zitsi Mirakhur, Ph.D., assistant professor, UK College of Education
“We are excited to host some of Central Kentucky’s most talented spellers. The Big Blue Bee could produce the next national champion from the University of Kentucky,” said UK College of Education Acting Dean Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Ph.D.
For more information about the Big Blue Bee, contact Mariama Lockington, research administrative coordinator in the UK College of Education Office of Internationalization and Community Engagement at mariama.lockington@uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.