Tri-Valley Student Headed To Scripps National Spelling Bee

PLEASANTON, CA — A Pleasanton student was one of four Bay Area students to win the San Ramon Valley Rotary Club's Regional Spelling Bee, which took place March 29 at the San Ramon Community Center.

Rithvi Balajee, an 8th grade student at Stratford Middle School, will compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. in May. Rithvi also qualified for Scripps in 2025, where she advanced to semifinals.

The other winners of the Rotary's competition include Ishana Dashgupta, a 6th grader at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley in Santa Clara; Navika Joseph, an 8th grater at William Hopkins Junior High School in Fremont, and Aiden Meng, a 7th grader at Orinda Intermediate School in Orinda.

The students beat out 59 other students from across the Bay Area, who each won several rounds before making it to the SRV Regional Spelling Bee.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place May 26-28 in Washington. It celebrated its hundredth anniversary last year, and is one of the most prestigious spelling bees in the world. In 2023, San Ramon 7th grader Dhruv Subramanian placed fifth. The winner could win $50,000.

SEE ALSO:

• Pleasanton Student Headed To Scripps National Spelling Bee
• Pleasanton Student Competing In National Spelling Bee Semifinals
• San Ramon 5th Grader Wins 2nd Place At State Spelling Bee