Looking Back to My Bee Years/Some Advice to Spellers

My love words and spelling began when I was two while watching Sesame Street. At that age, I had no idea what a spelling bee was. When I got to first grade, there was a spelling bee contest, and I won it. That was when I learned about Spellbound and the Scripps National Spelling Bee. While watching Spellbound back in 2004, I knew that I wanted to be at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

I began to study a lot, and in 2005, I watched the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the first time ever. The words amazed me and so did the spellers. Anurag Kashyap, Aliya Deri, and Samir Patel were the last three spellers standing. All three amazed me, including Samir Patel. I looked up to him in the 2006-2007 Bees, and I was disappointed when he lost. 

During my final year of the Bee, I remember being encouraged by friends, family, and many others, but after a mispronunciation and ambiguous answers to the word tentacled (it was pronounced tin-tuh-cuhled), I was disappointed. I had studied so hard for years without missing one day of studying. A few months later, I realized that some of the best spellers don't win the National Spelling Bee, and this includes many spellers that I looked up to over the years (Tia Thomas, Samir Patel, Matthew Evans, Tim Ruiter, Neetu Chandak, Laura Newcombe, and so much more).

I began planning a spelling bee club, and right now, I have a few spellers.

During one of my advanced math classes over the summer, I realized that my spelling bee studies really helped with my studying out of spelling. When I began high school, I felt very dedicated to it, and I still do. The spelling bee changed the course of my life.

• Study a lot
• Be dedicated
• If you don't win the National Spelling Bee, be happy with your placement.
• Remain calm on stage.
• Before competing, do something other than spelling (reading, playing video games, talk with friends, etc.)
• Always do your best!

Good luck spellers!