LIMA, OH (WLIO) - One local girl just made the tremendous accomplishment of winning an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee this summer!
Shawnee Middle School 7th Grader Opemipo Balogun won the regional spelling bee Tuesday evening at the UNOH Event Center in Lima and will be heading to National Harbor, Maryland near Washington, D.C. to compete in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee. She competed against 29 other local students and correctly spelled the word "fatuously" for the national trip. After Tuesday night's spelling bee, we talked with the winner about the journey to this moment and her advice to aspiring spellers.
"It means a lot to me. I've been trying since fourth grade, and yes, it has been a long dream. I enjoy it because it tests my knowledge. You should try, and if you work hard, you'll get good rewards," says Opemipo Balogun, 7th Grade Shawnee Student heading to Scripps National Spelling Bee.
This year's Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place the week of Memorial Day.
