AUSTIN, Texas -- A local student from the area gets to compete in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee near the nation's capital.
Pranathi Jammula, 12, of Kealing Middle School won Austin's first ever regional spelling bee competition Sunday at the Zach Theatre.
The honor gives her guaranteed admission and an all-expenses paid trip to nationals in May. Forty-seven young spellers from 10 counties across Central Texas competed.
Students hailed from Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Milam, Travis and Williamson Counties. The students ranged from third to eighth grade.
“It just makes perfect sense how the words just come together from different languages of origin,” said Priyadarshini Chandrani, a seventh-grade student from Austin.
“It broadens my knowledge of words and vocabulary," said Natalie Vuong, a fifth-grade student from Cedar Park.
The West Austin Chamber of Commerce hosted the event in partnership with Scripps after realizing that 2016 co-champion, Nihar Janga, from Austin had to travel to Houston to compete regionally.
"Prior to this, Austin was the biggest city that was not represented by a spelling bee, so this was a great opportunity. The spelling bee is one of the most iconic competitions in the country and Scripps has such a strong name and who hasn’t watched the amazing kids on ESPN,” said Morgan Briscoe, president of the West Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Gautham Sanil, a fifth-grade student from Cedar Park, said when he has time, not usually on school days, he will practically spelling anywhere from three to four hours.
"It teaches you to persevere and even if you lose its still really fun just to study it," Sanil said.
Other than vocabulary, the students gets schooled on some life lessons.
“It takes a lot of hardworking and perseverance," said Grace Jiang, a fourth-grade student from Austin.
So win or lose, many realize they are among the best spellers in Central Texas.
"You can always try again, you don’t always have to win, winning isn’t everything. It's about the journey,” said fifth-grade student, Meadow Stevens.
“The english language is cool because it comes from so many languages
[[TRACK]]
The winner of the regional competition gets an all expense-paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
[[SOT — Morgan Briscoe // West austin chamber of commerce]]
Prior to this, Austin was the biggest city that was not represented by a spelling bee. so this was a great opportunity.
[[TRACK]]
So what does it take to be spelling bee champion?
[[SOT — Grace Jiang // 4th Grade Student]]
“It takes a lot of hardworking and perseverance
[[SOT — Gautham Sanil // 5th Grade]]
“When i have a lot of time I spend maybe 3 four hours.”
[[TRACK]]
And then maybe you’ll get to spell words like this …
[[SOT — Natalie Vuong, 5th Grade Student]]
agathokakological // a-g-a-t-h-o-k-a-k-o-l-o-g-i-c-a-l
[[SOT — Grace Jiang // 4th Grade Student]]
“What is the hardest word that you know? // Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
[[TRACK]]
Other than vocabulary, these third to eight grade students gets schooled on the …
[[SOT — Ethan Esparza // 4th grade student]]
“it teaches you how to be confident and believe in yourself .”
[[SOT — Saba Salehi // 6th Grade Student]]
“It teaches you to kind of really pay attention to things and try to problem solve things out.”
[[TRACK]]
So win or lose…
[[SOT — Eli Floyd // 6th grade student]]
“I’m going to really really happy if i lose ad really happy if i win, i know put in a lot of work to get this far,.”
[[SOT — Meadow Stevens // 5th grade]]
you can always try again you don’t always have to win, wining isn’t everything its about the journey
[[TRACK]]
They’re the best young spelled across ten counties in central texas.
In Austin, RD, SN.
[[END]]
[[SOT — Sarah Adams // 7th grade student]]
“The english language is cool because it comes from so many languages
[[TRACK]]
The winner of the regional competition gets an all expense-paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
[[SOT — Morgan Briscoe // West austin chamber of commerce]]
Prior to this, Austin was the biggest city that was not represented by a spelling bee. so this was a great opportunity.
[[TRACK]]
So what does it take to be spelling bee champion?
[[SOT — Grace Jiang // 4th Grade Student]]
“It takes a lot of hardworking and perseverance
[[SOT — Gautham Sanil // 5th Grade]]
“When i have a lot of time I spend maybe 3 four hours.”
[[TRACK]]
And then maybe you’ll get to spell words like this …
[[SOT — Natalie Vuong, 5th Grade Student]]
agathokakological // a-g-a-t-h-o-k-a-k-o-l-o-g-i-c-a-l
[[SOT — Grace Jiang // 4th Grade Student]]
“What is the hardest word that you know? // Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
[[TRACK]]
Other than vocabulary, these third to eight grade students gets schooled on the …
[[SOT — Ethan Esparza // 4th grade student]]
“it teaches you how to be confident and believe in yourself .”
[[SOT — Saba Salehi // 6th Grade Student]]
“It teaches you to kind of really pay attention to things and try to problem solve things out.”
[[TRACK]]
So win or lose…
[[SOT — Eli Floyd // 6th grade student]]
“I’m going to really really happy if i lose ad really happy if i win, i know put in a lot of work to get this far,.”
[[SOT — Meadow Stevens // 5th grade]]
you can always try again you don’t always have to win, wining isn’t everything its about the journey
[[TRACK]]
They’re the best young spelled across ten counties in central texas.
In Austin, RD, SN.
[[END]]
[[SOT — Sarah Adams // 7th grade student]]
“The english language is cool because it comes from so many languages
[[TRACK]]
The winner of the regional competition gets an all expense-paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
[[SOT — Morgan Briscoe // West austin chamber of commerce]]
Prior to this, Austin was the biggest city that was not represented by a spelling bee. so this was a great opportunity.
[[TRACK]]
So what does it take to be spelling bee champion?
[[SOT — Grace Jiang // 4th Grade Student]]
“It takes a lot of hardworking and perseverance
[[SOT — Gautham Sanil // 5th Grade]]
“When i have a lot of time I spend maybe 3 four hours.”
[[TRACK]]
And then maybe you’ll get to spell words like this …
[[SOT — Natalie Vuong, 5th Grade Student]]
agathokakological // a-g-a-t-h-o-k-a-k-o-l-o-g-i-c-a-l
[[SOT — Grace Jiang // 4th Grade Student]]
“What is the hardest word that you know? // Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
[[TRACK]]
Other than vocabulary, these third to eight grade students gets schooled on the …
[[SOT — Ethan Esparza // 4th grade student]]
“it teaches you how to be confident and believe in yourself .”
[[SOT — Saba Salehi // 6th Grade Student]]
“It teaches you to kind of really pay attention to things and try to problem solve things out.”
[[TRACK]]
So win or lose…
[[SOT — Eli Floyd // 6th grade student]]
“I’m going to really really happy if i lose ad really happy if i win, i know put in a lot of work to get this far,.”
[[SOT — Meadow Stevens // 5th grade]]
you can always try again you don’t always have to win, wining isn’t everything its about the journey
[[TRACK]]
They’re the best young spelled across ten counties in central texas.
In Austin, RD, SN.
[[END]]