William B. from Kaiserslautern Middle School won the 2025 DoDEA Europe Regional Spelling Bee (provided by EPTSA)
Under the leadership of President Lisa-Marie Hadeen and Vice President Kristen Smith, the European PTSA proudly hosted the 2025 DoDEA Europe Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Ramstein High School.
This year’s Bee brought together 23 talented spellers from grades 3 to 8, representing DoDEA students from five countries — Bahrain, Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands — for an exciting day of academic excellence and spirited competition.
Special guest Dr. Howard-Barhaney, DoDEA Director of Student Excellence, was in attendance to support and congratulate the students on their incredible achievements.
The 2025 DoDEA Europe Regional Spelling Bee was held at Ramstein High School (provided by EPTSA)
By Round 16, the competition narrowed to the Top 3 spellers — Max B. from Brussels Unit School, Jackson T. from Garmisch Community School, and William B. from Kaiserslautern Middle School. With Jackson eliminated, Round 17 featured a tense showdown between Max and William.
In the end, William B. from Kaiserslautern Middle School come out on top as the last speller standing. He then clinched the championship in Round 18 by correctly spelling the winning word “collegiality” after enduring an impressive day of competition.
As the DoDEA Europe Champion, William will travel to Washington D.C. at the end of May to represent our region at the historic 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The success of this event was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Kaiserslautern Landstuhl Spouses Association (KLSA), Paola who performed the National anthem, announcer Mr. Bade, and the judges team made up of Kristen, Ashley and Kenley. In addition, there were dedicated volunteers from the Ramstein High School student body lead by Sophia EPTSA Student VP and RHS JROTC. The RHS Robotics Team not only supported the event but also provided delicious food and beverages as a fundraiser for their upcoming national competition in Texas this April.
Congratulations to all the spellers, and best of luck to William as he takes the DoDEA Europe banner to the national stage!
The EPTSA is a private organization that works in cooperation with DoDEA.
European Parent Teacher Student Association 2025 DoDE Europe Regional Spelling Bee (provided by EPTSA)
