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 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 can, I will keep doing it.”