Mississippi University for Women will host the 2025 C Spire Foundation Mississippi Spelling Bee featuring 25 top spellers from 17 Mississippi counties on Saturday, March 21, in Poindexter Hall beginning at 9:30 a.m.

“This year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee turns 100, and we are proud to be a part of America’s longest-running education competition,” said Mississippi Spelling Bee Director Lois Kappler. “For a century, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has been much more than a competition. It has become a symbol of perseverance, intellect and community.”

The top two spellers from the competition will advance to Bee Week and compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, held the last week of May in National Harbor, Maryland.

Kappler added, “Bee Week is designed to provide the spellers with opportunities to connect and make lifelong friendships, enjoy activities around their interests, tour Washington, D.C., and compete in the spelling rounds before the televised finals, which are broadcast live. Each year, our spellers are getting closer to the final round.”

The W has been the host of the bee since 2022, when it, along with other community sponsors, stepped up to save the bee.

Former Mississippi spelling champion Baruni Jakkula said, “A favorite memory was the tour at MSMS, experiencing MUW for the first time and numerous fun activities with my mom and brother. I have to say I was extremely nervous as I was speller No. 1, but I could never have guessed that I would be the lucky one who won a trophy.”

The C Spire Foundation is a charitable foundation funded by C Spire. It works to inspire excellence and transform the communities it serves. Since 1997, C Spire has donated millions of dollars in scholarships, opening doors to higher education in our home state of Mississippi.