SALISBURY, Md. – A Wicomico County eighth-grader is proving she belongs among the nation's best spellers — again.
Megan Barrientos has advanced past the second round of preliminaries at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Last year, she reached the semifinals, tying for 41st place.
School officials say her success is the result of dedicated preparation — and they hope that lesson resonates with students.
“Megan studies regularly for the spelling bee, because they do study,” said Wicomico Middle School principal Jo Branham. “Some people just think that they, you know, get up there and can spell these words just without even thinking. She puts in a lot of time and preparation into the spelling bee.”
Students don't just study spelling — they also study word definitions.
Branham says the lessons Barrientos is learning extend far beyond the spelling bee stage.
“How does that translate to her as just a human being? She realizes the importance of preparation not only for her classes,” said Branham. “This is extra, extracurricular, so she understands that she needs to put in time and effort into everything that she does.”
According to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, students who compete at this competition are sponsored by organizations specific to the community the student is from, such as colleges, universities, businesses and community groups.
Before stepping onto the national stage, Barrientos won the 2026 Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee, hosted by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The victory earned her a fully-sponsored trip to nationals — her second year being sponsored by UMES.
“The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is extremely proud of what Megan's been able to do, especially the hard work that goes into it,” said Earl Hollins, director of public relations at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. “We're an institution that has a mission of academics and success, and she's really proving that it's important to be able to achieve academically.”
University officials say they have been sponsoring students from local counties at this national competition for about 13 years.
This is Barrientos' final year of eligibility, as the competition is not open to high schoolers.
To reach this point, spellers must get through two preliminary rounds — first spelling a word aloud, then answering a multiple-choice vocabulary question. Those who advance earn a spot in the Round Three written test, with the top scorers — roughly 100 spellers — moving on to the quarterfinals.
Barrientos and her family find out tonight whether she has made the cut.
