Do you think you could spell the word "presumptuous" correctly, in front of a gymnasium filled with students, teachers and parents?

Catasauqua Middle School student Kaitlyn Hoagland did just that in January, finishing first, and qualifying her for the preliminary spelling bee written exam round Feb. 27 at Northampton Community College.

The 25 words and five vocabulary words Kaitlyn had to answer correctly among a group of her peers of 85 during the preliminary round did not disrupt Kaitlyn's ability to recall the correct spelling and meaning of words.

Kaitlyn buckled down and scored well enough to qualify her for the 28th Annual Regional Finals for the Scripps National Spelling Bee March 27 at the college.

Spelling, according to Kaitlyn, is in her blood.

"My mom was a great speller," she said. "So, it's kind of a genetic thing."

Kaitlyn's mother helped her prepare for both the CMS spelling bee and the regional round.

A love of reading, she says, is what has aided in her ability to spell words so well and so quickly. If she has a difficult time understanding the meaning of a word, she looks up the spelling and meaning of the word.

"I pick up a dictionary if I don't understand a word," she said. "If I don't understand the word, I would like to know what it means."

The regional round experience was initially unnerving, she said. In the end, her hard work paid off.

"I was so nervous," Kaitlyn said. "They just sat you there and made you wait until they graded everyone's entree. When I heard my name, I was so excited."

In her spare time, Kaitlyn volunteers her time in the community helping younger children. She also loves to read funny and romance novel books.

Her suggestion for her peers who may not be the strongest spellers is simple.

"Reading and writing helps you with spelling a lot," she said.

Between now and the regional finals March 27, you can be sure Kaitlyn will be busy honing her spelling skills.

Kaitlyn is one of 52 students who will be competing in the regional finals at the college.