Contestants wait for the event to begin. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

To bee or not to bee, that is the question.

But if you’re Mira Dedhia, 13, of Western Springs and an eighth-grader, answering the question correctly spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S.

As one of 11 finalists in the Regional Championship Suburban Cook County ISC’s Scripps Spelling Bee, Mira was the top finisher on Feb. 21 at McClure Junior High School, 4225 Wolf Road, Western Springs.

Mira correctly spelled the word, “emaciated” that Tuesday night.

Being the winner at the regional bee means competing at the televised 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., this year held from May 28 into June.

A few minutes after her win, Mira described how she felt as, “nerve-wracking.

“I’m still getting over that,” she said.

Second-place finisher was Emily Seriruk (standing center), 14, of Arlington Heights and an eighth-grader at Thomas Middle School. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

“I came into this really nervous because it’s my last year that I can participate in the bee,” Mira said.

“I’m really relieved.”

This is the second year that Mira won the regional bee and a trip to Washington, D.C.

On Feb. 8, Mira was among finalists who competed in the West 40 ISC #2/ROE #6 Area Scripps Spelling Bee, also at McClure Junior High School, a feeder bee in its 7th annual year.

Last year, she placed second in the feeder bee, which brought her to the regional bee where she became the 2016 top regional finisher.

At the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee, she placed 56th, sharing that ranking with several contenders.

“We’ve been extremely nervous, much more nervous than last year,” said Mira’s mother Lekshmi Nair, who coached her daughter on spelling strategies.

Mira Dedhia (right), 13, of Western Springs and an eighth-grader spells a word. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

“She (Mira) felt a lot of pressure to repeat.”

Mira has a sister Divya Dedhia, 2. Their father Sunil Dedhia watched the toddler during the times when Mira and her mother studied together.

“Unbelievable, hard work, dedication and commitment on her (Mira) part,” Sunil Dedhia said, also acknowledging the collaboration between mother and daughter.

“I’m nothing but proud of both of them, they did a great job,” he said.

The Intermediate Service Center (ISC) presents the local bee events. Two other feeder bees, the Feb. 7 north spelling bee in Kenilworth and the Feb. 9 south bee in Matteson, rounded out the pool of 11 finalists for the Feb. 21 regional bee at McClure.

“It’s about academic performance and learning, the love of learning, the love of life,” said Margot Fennelly of Palos Heights, spelling bee grant coordinator and an ISC consultant.

Mira Dedhia (left) signs paperwork while her friends await at the Regional Championship. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

“Spelling bees go back to at least the 1800s, perhaps the late 1700s as an American tradition,” said Dr. Robert Sloan of River Forest, who served as bee pronouncer.

Sloan is professor and head of computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“It’s a huge American tradition behind bees,” Sloan said.

The first word of the night, spelled correctly, was “average” when the regional bee began at 7:23 p.m. With 17 rounds, competition was complete before 9 p.m.

Some of the words spelled included “bangle,” “primal,” “decoy,” “fahrenheit,” “keno,” “kielbasa” and “hollandaise.”

Deal-breaker words causing finalists to leave the stage included “solace.” The second runner-up word, which poised Mira for the win, was a misspell of “lorikeet,” which is a brightly colored bird.

Finalists who participated in all of the bees feeding into the Feb. 21 regional bee represented students through eighth grade from public, private and home schools. Children as young as second grade competed.

In second place at the Tuesday regional was Emily Seriruk, 14, of Arlington Heights and an eighth-grader at Thomas Middle School of Arlington Heights.

Catherine Sernel, 13, of Park Ridge and an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School of Park Ridge, finished third

ComEd, an Exelon company, is a several-year sponsor of spelling bees in partnership with the ISC.

Third from right, top row is Mira Dedhia (third from right, top row), 13, of Western Springs and an eighth-grader, placed first in the Regional Championship Suburban Cook County ISC’s Scripps Spelling Bee at McClure Junior High School in Western Springs. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

ComEd covers expenses for the regional championship winner (Mira Dedhia) and one parent to take part in the Washington, D.C. national bee.

Mira’s mother said extended family will likely travel to the East Coast to attend the competition.

“We might have a bigger contingency this year,” Lekshmi Nair said.

Mira also had a fan gallery of friends who held posters in the bleachers in support of the defending champion on Feb. 21.

Among prizes for the Scripps national champion is $40,000 in cash, a $2,500 savings bond, an engraved trophy and educational resources. There’s also the national New York City live talk show appearance opportunity for the champ.

Scripps began in 1925. The literacy effort reaches 11 million students every year.

Learn more on the Scripps Howard Spelling Bee

— Western Springs 8th-grader repeats as regional Bee champ —