Aspiring neurosurgeon Kavya Shivashankar can really spell. After ousting eleven finalists at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the 13-year-old was crowned the best spelling in the world under the age of fourteen. More than just the title and a huge mother lode of a trophy, she also won $40,000 which should pay for about fifteen minutes of medical school.
Perseverance counts; In the past three years Shivashankar placed 10th, eighth, and fourth. The word that ensured her win was Laodicean. Eek.
I wasn’t going to mention this, but it’s time for a confession: I don’t know why, but whenever I watch these national spelling bees, I cry. I don’t know if it’s anxiety or awe that I feel, probably a mixture of both. Of course my reaction might also be related to memories of my own elementary school spelling bee defeat in which the prize was a Tears for Fears album.
I think that national means best speller in the country , it would have to be an international spelling bee to be considered the best speller in the world.
Actually, 40,000 will pay for all of medical school, depending on where you go (not including food, rent, gas, etgc).
Or one year of medical school will be paid with 40’000.
This is one of those crazy American things. When I was a child, I would have *loved* to take part in spelling bees. I was the kind of kid who only had to look at a word once to remember it. But it’s not exactly a talent that makes a significant difference in the adult world!
Proud winner of the school spelling bee when I was in the 5th grade, but bombed out on an easy word the next year.
Believe it or not, I won the school spelling bee in the 8th grade and went on to place 9th in the county. It really overloaded my brain though, and permanently robbed me of the ability to spell anything except the word that knocked me out of the competition: phlox. To this day I get unreasonably angry when I stroll through the lawn & garden section at Home Depot.
sorry to hear about your own loss in a spelling bee competition Wendie.
Did you Shout, shout, let it all out when you failed to win that album?
I’m totally laodicean…I think…
Didn’t see it this yr, but I remember it from last yr. It’s tough. These kids eat, sleep and breathe spelling. What sucks is the kids who don’t win in the last yr they qualify to participate.
“she also won $40,000 which should pay for about fifteen minutes of medical school.” lol
Oh Wendie, have you seen Akeelah (sp?) and the Bee?? It’ll make you cry too.
Is this one of those American things like the World Series Baseball where she’s won a national US competition so that makes her the best in the world????
Beats me how anyone can be the best in the world when they only compete against their own country. Arrogant? you tell me.