First lady Jill Biden to attend National Spelling Bee

via Nexstar Media Wire, The Associated Press

Updated: Jul 8, 2021 / 10:03 AM EDT

Dr. Jill Biden speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 6, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Finalists in the Scripps National Spelling Bee will get a visit from one of the nation’s most prominent educators: first lady Jill Biden.

The first lady will meet with spellers and their families before the bee Thursday evening and stay to watch the competition.

This year’s bee was delayed because of the pandemic and all preliminary rounds were held virtually.

Only the 11 finalists are competing in person, at an ESPN campus near Walt Disney World in Florida. Biden previously attended the bee in 2009 in Washington.

She’s an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College.