Ordean East sixth-grader heads to national spelling bee in Washington

Charlie Foshay turned a classroom skill at Ordean East Middle School into a trip to the country’s biggest spelling stage, becoming one of only two Minnesota sixth-graders to qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The 12-year-old Duluth student earned his spot by winning his school bee, his district bee and then the regional bee in Mountain Iron. That path sent him from a neighborhood middle school in St. Louis County to Washington, D.C., where the 2026 national bee opened Tuesday and was set for May 26-28 at DAR Constitution Hall.

Foshay was one of nine Minnesota students headed to the national competition, a field that Scripps said included 247 spellers from across the country and around the world. More than two thirds of this year’s competitors were first-time national participants, underscoring how difficult it is to get onto the stage in the first place.

The national bee also marked a return to the capital. Scripps said the event was back in Washington, D.C., for the first time in 15 years, with Bee Week registration beginning Sunday at the JW Marriott Washington, D.C. The venue shift put Foshay in the middle of a much larger academic showcase than a local contest can capture, with students arriving from all 50 states and additional locations.

In Minnesota, the spelling-bee pipeline starts early. The Northwest Service Cooperative says the state’s system begins at the classroom level and ends with nine regional champions advancing to nationals, a structure that gives students a clear ladder but still demands steady preparation at every step. Foshay’s own preparation included practice with a Scripps app, according to local reporting.

The Ordean East student also showed the curiosity that often travels with strong readers. He said he was excited to meet people and see the museums in Washington, a reminder that the national bee is not only a test of memory and language, but also a rare chance for a St. Louis County student to step onto a national platform built around academic achievement.