DUNWOODY, GA — A fifth-grader from Dunwoody has made his city proud by finishing third in the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Sarv Dharavane, an 11-year-old student at Austin Elementary School, was the youngest of the nine finalists in this year’s competition. He advanced to the 19th round before being eliminated after misspelling the word eserine by adding an extra ‘s’. His third-place finish earned him a $15,000 cash prize.

This marked Sarv’s second appearance at the national bee, he previously tied for 22nd place in 2024.

The competition concluded two rounds later when Faizan Zaki of Texas claimed the championship title by correctly spelling éclaircissement.

Another Georgia student, seventh-grader Sara Daoud from Greenbrier Middle School in Columbia County, also competed among this year’s nearly 250 contestants.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee finals aired live on ION from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, May 29, during a special event celebrating the bee’s 100th anniversary. The winner received more than $52,000 in cash and a $1,000 donation to a school of their choice.