OLATHE, Kan. — Three spellers from the Kansas City area are headed next week to National Harbor, Maryland, for the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
One of the contestants is 14-year-old Adele Gibbens, an eighth-grader at Indian Trail Middle School.
After four years of hard work with her grandfather, she qualified by winning the Olathe Public School’s District Bee.
The winning word was duplicitous.
“I studied a lot more, like earlier and more often, with my grandpa,” said Gibbens. "I would go over to his house everyday after school and we would practice.”
Adele Gibbens, Scripps Spelling Bee contestant
And you know what they say — the apple does not fall far from the tree. Gibben’s affinity with words can directly be traced back to her parents. They are both high school English teachers.
“When she was in third grade is when COVID hit, and I as a AP Lang teacher, gave her some AP prompts to write to when we were at home,” said her mom, Marci Gibbens.
Reading has always been a pillar of their home and they believe it was the key to her success.
“I hope it reminds her that she’s capable of doing really hard things,” said her dad, Marc Gibbens. “Even if she misses her very first word, you know, I think she’ll be able to look back on that with pride.”
Training was not always easy, but if the journey taught her anything, it is that she is capable of everything.
“I never knew that I could be so good at memorizing these things and like, this is a skill that I didn’t really know I had,” said Gibbens.
The outpouring of support from the community has been a great motivator as well.
“They’re like asking me when it’s gonna be on TV so they can watch me and stuff,” said Gibbens. “Now that I’m here and I know that like, all these people back home are cheering for me, I’m really excited to go up there and do the best that I can.”
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