El Rancho Charter School student Sydney Tran steps up to the mic to spell the word “merak” at the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Tuesday, May 27. (Photo courtesy of Scripps National Spelling Bee) 
Seventh-grade student Sydney Tran is accompanied to the Bee by her parents, Kelly and Ken Tran (pictured right) and OCDE Coordinator Kristin Rigby (pictured left). 
El Rancho Charter School student Sydney Tran competes among 243 elementary and middle school students at the 100th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee on Tuesday, May 27.
Quick look: OC student Sydney Tran’s spelling journey took her from El Rancho Charter School in Anaheim to the national stage in Maryland, where the seventh-grader competed among the top young spellers in the country during the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Under the bright lights of the stage at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, hundreds of the nation’s top young spellers sat waiting their turn, each wearing a numbered name tag and ready to put months of preparation and word memorization to the test.
One by one, competitors approached the mic to face a word selected at random from thousands in the Scripps word bank. In just 90 seconds, as the word is read aloud by lead pronouncer Dr. Jacques Bailly, each student must hone in on the definition or language of origin and deliver their answer — relying on every study session that brought them to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
This week, seventh-grader Sydney Tran was among them. After winning the Orange County Spelling Bee in 14 rounds by spelling “obsecration,” she advanced to the national contest in National Harbor, Maryland, joining 242 other students to compete for the coveted title of champion.
Sydney, a student at El Rancho Charter School in Anaheim, successfully advanced through two rounds of the competition on Tuesday, spelling the word “merak” and correctly defining “awry.” She was eliminated in the third round after not receiving a high enough score on the written test to advance, tying for 100th place.
Throughout the contest, she competed alongside elementary and middle school students representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories like Guam, and international locations including Lagos, Nigeria.
Accompanying Sydney on the trip were her parents, Kelly and Ken Tran. They said they hoped the experience would be fun and enriching, giving Sydney the chance to connect with peers from around the world and “take away as many valuable lessons as possible from this phenomenal experience.”
Driven to reach Scripps
Sydney’s parents first noticed her gift for spelling when she won her fourth-grade spelling bee. Since then, she has been determined to reach the Scripps stage, dedicating up to two hours each weeknight — three to four hours on weekends — to studying, all while managing honors classes, creative writing and rehearsals for advanced orchestra.
Beyond spelling, Sydney plays violin, attends Model United Nations camp, plays tennis and enjoys arts and crafts like making jewelry out of clay.
As a participant in the 100th annual bee, Sydney will receive a commemorative prize package that includes Bee souvenirs, an official certificate of participation and a yearlong subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged.
Surrounded by support
In the audience throughout the competition, Sydney’s parents beamed with pride as they watched their daughter take the national stage.
“No matter what, it’s so amazing she’s competing,” said Kelly Tran.
Also cheering from the crowd was Kristin Rigby, OCDE’s coordinator of academic events and recognition programs, who accompanied Sydney to Scripps as the Orange County regional partner representative.
“Having watched the competition on television for many years, it has been inspiring to witness it in person and see one of our own shine under the bright lights,” Rigby said.
Rigby has followed Sydney’s spelling journey from her school bee to the countywide contest and into the national spotlight, observing how the seventh-grader’s determination and confidence have continued to grow.
“Our entire OC Bee team is incredibly proud of the dedication, perseverance and hard work she demonstrated to reach this level,” Rigby said.
Crowning a champion
Out of more than 11 million students who began the spelling bee season, it all came down to 13-year-old student Faizan Zaki from Allen, Texas, who became the National Scripps Spelling Bee champion title after 21 high-stakes rounds.
Faizan clinched the win by spelling “éclaircissement” — a French word meaning the clearing up of something obscure, or enlightenment.
The 100th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee aired live on ION TV from May 27 through May 29.
To learn how to get involved in Orange County’s spelling bee program, visit the Orange County Spelling Bee website.