Fil-Am teen finishes tied for fifth in US Spelling Bee competition

Photo grabbed from https://www.chicagotribune.com/

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino-American teenager made it to the top six of a spelling bee competition in Washington, DC.

Chicago Tribune reported that Alia Abiad of McClure Junior High School finished fifth in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Abiad of McClure Junior High School in Western Springs is the lone representative from Illinois.

Abiad, 14, correctly spelled “quebrada,””collyrium,” “buñuelo,” and  “brindisi” before incorrectly spelling “irbis” to finish in a tie for fifth.

“My husband was filming and he actually turned off the camera because they didn’t call her name until the very end… This is awesome! We are just like, ‘pinch me!'”  Lorraine Abiad, Alia’s mother, said in the report.

In 2013, Abiad finished in a tie for 19th place in the national bee.

The finalists received cash prizes, medals, copies of “A Merriam-Webster Dictionary,” a 12-month subscription to Microsoft Office, as well as a one-year membership to Encyclopedia Britannica online edition, the report said.