Check back on Teacher Appreciation Day to learn more about this year's Educator of the Year.

Riley Fields remembers sitting on a sofa in his home office in 2021 when he heard the news. The Carolina Panthers’ director of community relations learned that the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s long-time regional partner in North Carolina was not going to continue in that role.

“There was going to be large population segments of students in our region with no pathway to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” Fields said. “That didn’t seem right. I thought it was an interesting opportunity for us to pick the ball up and run with it, so to speak.”

That’s, in part, because Panthers owner David Tepper and his wife Nicole have made supporting literacy efforts a priority for the National Football League organization.

Fields recites research-supported facts about the importance of strong reading skills between third and fourth grade when students go from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Studies have shown that if students can’t read proficiently by this time they have less chance for long-term academic, economic and professional achievements.

“We want to help put kids on a pathway to success,” Fields said. “We have a strong focus on elementary school literacy and providing resources and inspiration to encourage early learners to develop strong reading habits.” 

The Panthers regional program today encapsulates more than 90 school districts in North Carolina and 23 counties in South Carolina. This past year, roughly 1,700 schools were involved, Fields said. Four spellers from North Carolina and two from South Carolina advanced to the national competition.

“They are making a huge difference for the schools and students in North and South Carolina," said Bryan Witt, regional partner specialist for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “We are so impressed by the ways in which the organization celebrates students for their academic achievements in bold, meaningful ways.”

In 2004, Linda Wrazen was employed at the nonprofit Vermont Humanities Council. Richard Cate, then-Vermont commissioner of education, learned Vermont was the only state that did not send a student to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

He requested a meeting with the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA), Vermont Humanities Council, Vermont Department of Education and Burlington Free Press and asked the four organizations to figure out a plan for a statewide bee.

The VPA took the lead role because it had experience hosting competitions and had school contacts, Wrazen said. 

Wrazen, from Montpelier, Vermont, worked with the VPA to help coordinate a state bee in 2005. She became the official recorder/record keeper in 2008 and has held that role since – even though she retired from the Vermont Humanities Council in 2022 after 22 years with the organization.

“I like it,” she said. “I like seeing the students and the families at the bee – and their commitment. I like seeing students come back and try again. They try their best.”

Wrazen has a background in education and considers spelling “so important.”

“Linda has been our recorder for the Vermont State Bee for decades. However, more than that, she has been a source of guidance and support,” Mallori Longevin, VPA event coordinator & manager, wrote on the nomination form. “The growth of the Vermont State Spelling Bee – in participation, reputation, and impact – is inseparable from Linda's dedication. The event we have today simply would not exist in its current form without her ongoing, hands-on commitment.”

Wrazen didn’t necessarily think she was going to continue with the Vermont bee once she retired and helped care for her grandchildren.

“I just figured somebody else would take over and do it,” she said. “But it was nice when they asked me in 2023 to continue. As long as I am interested, I will keep doing it.”