For the second time in three years, North Middle School student Brian Liu will compete on the world stage as a contestant in the National Scripps Spelling Bee. Brian, currently in eighth grade, also represented Long Island in the national bee as a sixth grader in 2023.

Brian’s journey to the 2025 National Scripps Spelling Bee started at the North Middle School Spelling Bee on January 15, where he won first place after 22 challenging rounds of competition. He then advanced to a regional competition conducted online and made it to the finals, where he correctly spelled the word “quetzal” after 17 rounds. Brian is one of two students who will represent Long Island at the national competition from May 27–29 in Washington, D.C.

This is Brian’s second trip to the National Scripps Spelling Bee, and it’s the third consecutive year that a North Middle student will represent the region at the national competition.