NATCHEZ — Two Trinity Episcopal Day School students are state bound after spelling their way through the MAIS District Spelling Bee competition.

Caroline Sutherland, 11, placed first in the fifth grade division while Beth Mullins, 10, placed second in the fourth grade division in Franklinton, La., during the MAIS District Spelling Bee.

Trinity English fifth through eight-grade instructor Alexis Lassetter said she is proud to see Caroline excel.

“I’m extremely proud of her,” Lassetter said. “The words she got were fairly tough. She would have to spell ‘dialysis’ while another kid got the word ‘jungle.’”

Sutherland does not see spelling as a hobby, but something she must learn to go further in life.

“We have to do it,” Sutherland said. “It’s a lot of different words and some are very advanced.”

Sutherland said her time in the competition enhanced her learning capabilities.

“It helped me learn new words,” Sutherland said. “I know more words now than before and it also helped my vocabulary.”

During the MAIS District Spelling Bee in Franklinton, Sutherland gained the victory by spelling ravioli.

That was a nervous moment, Sutherland said.

“I didn’t think I was going to be nervous this year, but when it got down to the last few I got a little nervous.”

Mullins secured her position to the state competition by spelling words such as decoy.

That required a little guessing because the letter ‘y’ in decoy is silent, Mullins said.

Although Mullins is not a big fan of spelling, she manages to do well in the subject.

“I never really liked it,” Mullins said. “But my mom said I always have been good at it.”

Both students have dreams and aspirations to attend college — Sutherland plans on attending Louisiana State University or Mississippi State to become a veterinarian while Mullins looks forward to attending the University of Southern Mississippi to one day become a teacher.

But Sutherland and Mullins know anywhere they go in life — spelling will have to follow.

“If I’m writing a paper, knowing how to spell helps me because I want have to ask for help or look up the word,” Sutherland said.