The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) announces the winners of the 2025 Los Angeles County Regional Spelling Bee. After 16 intense rounds, Oliver Halkett, a 7th grader from Mirman School, emerged victorious by correctly spelling "mollisol" and the winning word "diazepam." Oliver's exceptional performance earned him the first-place title for the second year in a row. 

Kamya Balaji, a 6th grader from Notre Dame Academy, secured second place after 15 nail-biting rounds, ultimately misspelling the word "mollisol."  

Viviana Chen, a 7th grader from Walnut Valley Unified School District and last year's second-place winner, rounded off the top three. Viviana's journey ended when she stumbled on the word "paideia.” 

This year's competition, held at Almansor Court in Alhambra, showcased the linguistic expertise of 42 spellers from public, private, and charter schools across the county. The event was extra special as it allows the L.A. County regional first and second place winners the opportunity to compete in the 100th anniversary of Scripps' National Spelling Bee this May in Washington, D.C. This experience is generously being sponsored though a grant from the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation.

Oliver and Kamya will represent L.A. County at the California State Spelling Bee on Saturday, April 26, 2025. We wish them the best of luck! 

They will also go on to represent L.A. County the Scripps National Spelling Bee the week of May 26-30 in Washington, D.C.

The Los Angeles County Regional Spelling Bee is an annual event that brings together the brightest young spellers from across the County. This year's competition was a testament to the dedication and hard work of all participants, and LACOE extends its heartfelt congratulations to the winners. 

For more information, visit LACOE Spelling Bee webpage.

• Watch the 2025 Spelling Bee Competition Video Here
• Watch the 2025 Spelling Bee Highlight Reel Here