Spelling Bee
Test your spelling skills while supporting adult literacy!
Thank you to everyone who attended the First Literacy 35th Annual Spelling Bee. This year 19 teams battled it out spelling some of our most challenging words yet. In the end, the Morgan Stanley team (Warren Borgen, Kate Johnson, Miles Furguson) came out on top and were crowned the winners of the 35th Annual Spelling Bee.
Thanks to your support the 35th Annual Spelling Bee raised $250,000! Team Morgan Stanley also won the crowdfunding competition, raising the most money as a team. Proceeds from the event support First Literacy’s work including: free professional development workshops for adult educators, scholarships for adult students attending college or vocational programs, and grants for innovative Adult Basic Education pilot programs.
2025 Spelling Bee Champion Team Morgan Stanley- Warren Borgen, Kate Johnson, Miles Furguson. Photo credit: Mark Mathis.
Thank You to Our Host Committee
Josh Binswanger
Rebecca Chasen | Deloitte
Rob Chesley | Truist
Deb Gould | Newmark
Eric Kayne | Morgan Stanley
Geraldine Lippman and Carlos Pinto | Equiniti
Ryan Murphy | UBS
Matthew Nicholls | Franklin Templeton
Sonia Chaliha | BNY
Keith Slattery | JP Morgan
Margarheeta C. Wise | MFS
Thank You to Our Bee Committee
Karime Abdel-Hay | Co-Chair
Jeffrey Beale
Corey Groves | Co-Chair
Nilan Jayasinghe
Jenna Kline
Check out the video below to view the first round of pre-recorded play from the 2025 Spelling Bee. The teams who did not advance to the finals participated in the lightning round during the in-person event for a chance to take the wildcard spot in the championship round.
2025 SPONSORS
- Jeffrey Beale
- Brookline Bank
- Cabot Corporation
- Corient
- Crimson Lion Foundation
- Deloitte
- EY
- Fahey Family Charitable Fund
- Fidelity
- First Literacy Associate Board
- Fusion Design Consultants, Inc.
- John Hancock
- K&L Gates
- Lee Kenyon
- KPMG
- Liberty Mutual/ Tim Vigue
- Mintz
- Morrow Sodali Fund
- In Honor of Karen Morrissey
- Peabody Essex Museum
- PwC
- Robert Half International
- Saturno Design
- Seyfarth Shaw
- T. Rowe Price
- Truist
- UBS
- Visnick & Caulfield
BEE TEAM SPONSOR LEVELS
Frederick Douglass – $50,000
- Verbal recognition during the event and prominent listing on event signage
- Two Bee teams of three individuals to compete
- Thirty Bee tickets
- Prominent listing on the First Literacy website, event emails, social media posts, press releases, and print advertising
- Logo or team name prominently featured in advertising and promotional materials
- Listing in our Annual Report
Ralph Waldo Emerson – $25,000
- Verbal recognition during the event and name listed on event signage
- One Bee Team of three individuals to compete
- Twenty Bee tickets
- Prominent listing on the First Literacy website, event emails, social media posts, press releases, and print advertising
- Social media posts, press releases, and print advertising
- Logo or team name prominently featured in advertising and promotional materials
- Listing in our Annual Report
Emily Dickinson – $15,000
- One Bee team of three individuals to compete
- Ten Bee tickets
- Prominent listing on the First Literacy website, event emails, social media posts, press releases, and print advertising
- Social media posts, press releases, and print advertising
- Logo or team name prominently featured throughout the event
- Listing in our Annual Report
Henry David Thoreau – $10,000
- One Bee team of three individuals to compete
- Eight Bee tickets
- Prominent listing on the First Literacy website, event emails, social media posts, press releases, and print advertising
- Logo or team name prominently featured throughout the event
- Listing in our Annual Report
James Baldwin – $7,500
- One Bee team of three employees to compete
- Five Bee tickets
- Prominent listing on the First Literacy website, event emails, social media posts, press releases, and print advertising
- Logo or team name prominently featured throughout the event
- Listing in our Annual Report
Louisa May Alcott – $5,000
- One Bee team of three individuals to compete
- Five Bee tickets
- Listing on the First Literacy website, event emails, social media posts, press releases, and print advertising
- Logo or team name prominently featured throughout the event
- Listing in our Annual Report
OTHER SPONSOR LEVELS
Advocate – $3,500
- Three Bee tickets
- Logo or name featured throughout the event
- Listing in our Annual Report
Supporter – $1,500
- Two Bee tickets
- Logo or name featured throughout the event
- Listing in our Annual Report