St. Pete sixth grader to compete in Scripps Spelling Bee
May 21, 2025 - A sixth grader from St. Petersburg is among 12 Florida contestants who will head to Washington, D.C., for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Vlada Kozhevnikova, 12, attends the Pinellas Academy of Math & Science and will face off against 242 other participants starting May 27. The finals are from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. May 29, and the Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund sponsored Kozhevnikova's trip.