Trying to get 231 spells in the right place at the right time can sound like a very difficult thing to do.
But for Abby Haggerty, it’s second nature.
“I’m a guide for them,” she said. “I consider myself a ‘mama bee.'”
Haggerty’s helping hand at the Scripps National Spelling Bee began 13 years ago. The kids at Bee Week keep her coming back every time.
“Yes, I take them to their interviews. Yes, I help them do their makeup with the makeup artists and the hair people,” she said. “We’re going to have a lot of fun, but my main role for the day is to be their liaison.”
It is a role in which she brings a lot of joy.
“I want to be the person who smiles the most from Scripps and is there to help them do whatever they need to do,” Haggerty said. “So if they need a moment to breathe, I stand by them and help them breathe, and if they want to laugh and just be a 13- or 14-year-old kid, I’m more than happy to facilitate that as well .”
Haggerty is part of a large group of people making sure this year’s Spelling Bee runs smoothly.
“I think about how meaningful Bee Week was to me as a kid, and we’re trying to add more and more of that meaning to the work we do at Bee Week,” said Corey Loeffler, the Spelling Bee’s new executive director.
SEE MORE: Spellers bring their own buzz to the Scripps National Spelling Bee
Loeffler herself is a former bettor of the competition.
“The Spelling Bee is such a pure competition. It’s just that kids are against the dictionary,” Loeffler said. “He’s so easy to relate to and so easy to play along with. It makes it a lot of fun to be there. It makes it so much fun to watch.”
For viewers watching at home, you never know what might happen next.
“We can definitely expect some surprises along the way,” Loeffler said.
Haggerty said that comes with the territory, and she plans to help all the spellers navigate together.
“At the end of the day, they’re amazing kids and what I want to do is be there for them,” Haggerty said, “and I want to make sure they know this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity life.”
SEE MORE: Here’s how you can watch the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee
You can watch a special telecast of the Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals on Wednesday, May 31 at 8:00 PM EDT on Ion and Bounce, as well as streaming on the Bee’s website.
Watch those same channels for the live finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, June 1 at 8:00 PM EDT.
Editor’s note: Scripps News is a subsidiary of EW Scripps Company, which also operates the nonprofit Bee.
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