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Top Spelling Bee Coach | The Post
A full-time spelling bee coach joins The Post to give insight on how spellers prepare for the big Scripps National Spelling Bee contest. A student from Prosper ISD has made it to the finals.
PROSPER, Texas - A student from North Texas is one of the final contestants in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Avishka Dudala
What we know:
Avishka Dudala, an 8th grader at Rogers Middle School in Prosper ISD, has made it through nine rounds of the bee.
She is the only one of the five students from North Texas to make it to the finals, which will be held on Thursday night.
According to the competition’s website, the 13-year-old loves adventure stories and creative writing. She’s also a tennis player.
She finished in 41st place in 2025.
Scripps National Spelling Bee: 5 North Texas students advance to quarterfinals
Five students from the Dallas and Fort Worth area have advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 98th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee being held this week in Washington, D.C.
Scripps National Spelling Bee
The backstory:
This is the 98th year for the competition, which is being held this week at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
There were a total of 247 spellers competing from across the country. Only nine are advancing to the finals.
Local perspective:
Last year’s winner was also from North Texas.
Faizan Zaki, a Plano ISD student who lives in Allen, took home a $50,000 grand prize and bragging rights after spelling the word "éclaircissement" correctly.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Scripps National Spelling Bee website.