A Fairfax County spelling champion is inspiring and helping Mongolian students from around the country sharpen their spelling skills.

Thirteen-year-old Erdem Dulgunn is a three-time spelling champion and has been working on his spelling since he first found out about the competitions.

At first, he thought it involved honey. “It had nothing to do with bees, but actually about spelling,” he said. “To my surprise, I actually began to win among my elementary school peers.”

This weekend, 34 Mongolian students from eight states will come to D.C. to go head-to-head.

Erdem and school leaders at Kilmer Middle School say it’s a special moment for everyone.

“Bringing a community together to have fun, learn, I think it’s such great life skills that are being taught about setting a goal,” Kilmer Principal Amy Miller said. “I’m very proud of it,” Erdem said. “I think it’s the biggest accomplishment of my life.”

The bee is set to take place Saturday at the World Bank in D.C. The Mongolian ambassador to the U.S. will attend and will host a reception for the students and their families.