Allingham Reaches Semifinals in Scripps National Spelling Bee

The talented actress and writer qualified for the national competition for the second time, along with 280 other spellers. After scoring high on a computer-based spelling test this past Tuesday and passing the preliminary rounds, Lily became one of only 46 students to advance to the semifinals.

“I improved my finish this year, from tying for 247th to tying for 33rd,” Lily said. “I was proud of myself for achieving my goal of making it to the semifinals this year.

“The Bee is unlike anything I've ever done in my entire life. It combines incredible nervousness and heart-pounding excitement into an academic competition, and that's pretty hard, considering that all that happens is a bunch of kids get up and spell words into a microphone.”

Lily was knocked out of the competition in the fifth round by the word “rufosity,” which the bee’s official pronouncer Dr. Jacques Bailly defined as “the quality or state of being any of several colors averaging a strong yellowish pink to moderate orange.” After asking several questions about the unfamiliar word--its language of origin, part of speech, use in a sentence--she spelled it R-U-F-O-S-C-I-T-Y.

Although the extra “C” kept her out of the final rounds, Lily told the Wilmington News-Journal she was proud to have achieved her two goals: making it to the semifinals, and appearing in the ESPN commercials that air during the bee.

"This is my last year of eligibility and I've kind of been looking back and thinking about all of the great experiences I've had here," Lily said in the interview. "I've made so many friends and I'm kind of sad it's over, really. It's just awesome.”

Beyond her spelling prowess, Lily is a standout member of the Sanford community. She is the vice president of student council, a writer and editor at the literary magazine, and an active member of SRTC--starring in this year’s production of Annie.

Christine Yasik, her English teacher, described her as “a well rounded student who readily shares her gifts with Sanford.” Though she is “determined” and “goal-oriented,” Mrs. Yasik explained, Lily did not let studying for the bee consume her, remaining devoted to her other academic and artistic pursuits.

Although Lily enjoys the excitement of competition, she says that “the best part of the Bee is the other spellers. I've made so many friends at the Bee in my two years, from the Memorial Day barbecue to the dance, where we all jam out together. Walking into a room and knowing that you are just as nerdy as everyone else is a pretty great feeling. It's knowing that no matter what shape, size, or color you are, you fit in with the people at the Bee.”

Congratulations to Lily on her very impressive accomplishments!