Meet Annelisa Stephen, Hallie Doonan, and Rachael English, members of your 2026 Alumni Service Team! They make up the Writing Team portion of the AST, which means they author each of the blog posts you will find on the National Bible Bee Blog this year.
Here are some quick and fun facts to get to know each of them:
Annelisa is from Piscataway, New Jersey; she is 19 years old and participated in the National Bible Bee from 2017-2025. She has self-published 6 books, including a Biblical fiction novel and a devotional series! She loves playing and composing music; her favorite instrument is the piano, which she’s been playing for 13 years now, but she also plays the flute and guitar. She also loves writing poetry and sometimes starts speaking in rhyme. In the past 6 years, she has traveled to 5 international countries. And she is a classical music enthusiast. (Dvorâk, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Mahler, and Bach have consistently been her top five favorite composers.) She is currently studying cell and molecular biology at Union University.
Hallie is from Texas; she is 18 and also participated in the National Bible Bee from 2017-2025. She grew up in two different houses that were 5 hours apart from each other, and her family would travel back and forth about every 6-8 days for several years. She is left-handed and loves studying and learning about creation science and biology. She has traveled to 45 out of 50 of the United States. And she has an adorable maltipoo puppy named Suki! Hallie is now working full time as a legal assistant while also doing full time online college. She is also working on some business ideas on the side! She still makes time for traveling, spending time with her family and friends, and doing some of her hobbies which include doing outdoor activities, reading, baking, sewing and crochet!
Rachael is from Verona, Wisconsin; she is 21 and participated in the National Bible Bee from 2019-2022. One of her yearly goals is to read 50 books. She has never broken a bone. She has traveled to the UK 3 times and got to see Big Ben (although it was covered in scaffolding for repairs). She has memorized 15 books of the Bible and is currently attempting to commit Ecclesiastes to memory. And her favorite genre of music is soundtracks. She is wrapping up her junior year of college at Liberty University, where she is studying Christian literature, religion, and business. She hopes to use her writing to help people think deeper and draw closer to Christ. In her free time she enjoys long walks, good books, and spending time with friends.
Hello, ladies! Welcome to the National Bible Bee Blog! Tell us a little bit about each of your NBB journeys. How did you first start participating in the National Bible Bee?
Annelisa: My parents found the National Bible Bee Gameshow on Facebook. Scripture memorization has always been a huge priority in my family, so when we saw the Gameshow, we were inspired and extremely motivated to try it. We signed up for the Summer study that year (2017) and began to realize that it was much deeper than any study we had ever been part of. When, by God’s grace, I made it to Nationals that year, we were inspired and completely hooked. Our family has been a part of the Bible Bee ever since, and I have been so blessed by my journey!
Hallie: My Mom saw an ad for the National Bible Bee on facebook back in 2017 in the spring! She registered me and my three siblings, and thus began our National Bible Bee journey!
Rachael: In 2019 my mom found a Facebook post about the National Bible Bee and signed me and my siblings up for the Summer Study. I had done some memorization in my church’s Awana program, but after I had aged out of it I hadn’t done very much memorizing at all. Having fourteen passages and the Discovery Journal to complete wasn’t exactly what I expected, and it turned out to be a little more challenging than I thought! Looking back, I am so grateful for the time I had to intensively study God’s Word.
What’s a lesson you learned from your time in the National Bible Bee that has practically influenced your life?
Annelisa: I learned how to study the Word of God. God has given us the gift of His word, and knowing how to study the Scriptures is so important in our walk with the Lord. There are layers in Scripture that can be found by looking at the original language and cross-references. Receiving the tools to study the Bible and then knowing how to use them on your own for personal, everyday study has been such a huge influence in my life. Cultivating the practice of studying and memorizing God’s word well has helped me understand it better and draw closer to Him. Even after my competing years, I still use the same tools and habits that I’ve cultivated through years of study.
Hallie: In the National Bible Bee, I learned how important it is to have a foundation built on the Bible. Jesus is the truth, and knowing the truth is so important in everyday life. The National Bible Bee has helped me study the truth of the Bible and grow closer to Jesus. There have been many situations recently as an adult, whether at school or in the workplace where verses I memorized or passages I studied have come back to mind and helped me through those situations. I am so grateful that I have been able to study the Bible from a young age and learn about the Truth. The National Bible Bee has helped me learn how to study the Bible, and has given me an amazing community to learn and grow with.
Rachael: Before my time in the National Bible Bee I typically memorized one verse at a time, or a very short passage. I don’t think I had memorized anything longer than ten verses in a passage. But once I qualified for Nationals I learned I had to memorize much longer passages that varied in length and difficulty. Needless to say, it stretched my brain. Several years after aging out of the competition I have been able to keep memorizing long passages and several books of Scripture. It has become a habit to hide God’s Word in my heart, and that habit has resulted in many blessings.
Can you share a favorite moment you’ve experienced while studying for NBB or attending the National Bible Bee Competition?
Annelisa: One of my most cherished moments from the National Bible Bee Competition was in 2021, when I made it to the semi-finals. More than the actual competition, I enjoyed being with all my friends backstage, praying for each other, cheering each other on, and checking each other’s recitations. Though we were all competing, we were able to encourage and support each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and being part of such a wonderful community is a beautiful experience. That is a moment I’ll always remember.
Hallie: One of my favorite memories while competing in the National Bible Bee was when I qualified for NBB for the first time. I had studied hard for several years before that but I had not qualified for the National Bible Bee Competition yet. Two of my siblings and I all found out at the same time that we were all going to compete at the National Bible Bee Competition that year! We were so excited! It was the first time that all three of us had qualified. I was so grateful to study during the fall alongside friends and family.
Rachael: I don’t think I have one specific favorite! Many of my favorite memories are from times at Nationals with friends. There is always a lot of pressure involved in competition, ever more if you are a competitive person. But being surrounded by people who love God’s Word and are committed to making Him known brought peace to my heart every time I competed. It’s very special when you can be in a competition but be pointed to Christ by the people you are competing with.
Before you go, is there one thing you’ve taken away/learned from competing in the National Bible Bee Competition that you would like to share with everyone?
Annelisa: God’s word is living and active, and there is so much depth to His word! It is a privilege to devote time to studying His word and to have the Scriptures so accessible. The Lord has revealed so many things to me as I have studied a passage multiple times or recited Scripture over and over. No time spent in His word ever goes to waste; every moment is transformative and the key to a deeper relationship with the Lord. Don’t take His gift for granted!
Hallie: Something that I have taken away from the national Bible Bee is how important it is to use your time wisely. Taking the opportunities in front of you and making the most of them is a really good thing to learn early on. Competing in the National Bible Bee Competition was one of those opportunities for me. While I did not always see the value for it, I am so eternally grateful for all the years I spent as a young person studying the Living Word of God. Ephesians 5:16 says, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (KJV). This verse challenges us to make the most of our time here. Studying the Word of God and knowing Him more is the most important thing you can spend your time doing. So make the most of your days and dive into the Word of God! His Word never returns void!
Rachael: Focus on Jesus during your time in the study. Looking back at my years in the National Bible Bee I can recognize them as a blip on the radar. It went by so quickly, but I still feel the impact in my life. The ultimate goal in studying God’s Word is not to score perfectly, make it onto the stage, or win a prize. It is to know the Lord more and how we should live as His people. Ask God to change you as you internalize His Word, and He will do so from the inside out. Never give up, and never stop seeking Him as you study!
