Nearly 250 kids will step on stage Tuesday to test their skills. Their spelling skills, that is. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee brings some of the nation’s best spellers together for a face-off. Spellers will move through four-rounds until failure. The champion will receive a $50,000 cash prize and other commemorative memorabilia. From our region, fifth-grader Krrisha Agrawal from Woodland Hill Montessori School will be heading to D.C. to compete. WAMC's Samantha Simmons spoke with her this week. By way of transparency, Woodland Hill Montessori School is an underwriter for WAMC.
It's been my dream since I was, like, four years old, to go to the National Spelling Bee. And I I've always had a passion for spelling. I've always, like, asked my teachers to be on the highest list, or try, like, ask my mom to quiz me on words from the dictionary. I've always loved it.
Besides spelling, what other hobbies do you have? What do you do in your free time?
I'm a brown belt in Taekwondo. I played the violin for like four or five years. I like to sing and dance. I like to play tennis.
And did your qualification for the National Spelling Bee come as a surprise. I know you had to move through different rounds of different local and regional spelling bees, but when you finally got that acceptance to the Scripps, what was that like? And were you surprised?
I was surprised. I didn't imagine that I would get to go to the nationals. I mean, I was like, flabbergasted. I was like, wow. And it was, it was hard, it was a lot of rounds. It was like four spelling bees. I think it took a while. I was really surprised it was like. So, what had happened was I had gone to my school one, and then I had gone into an online spelling bee, and then I went to one on a Zoom meeting, and I didn't make it, but two days before the regional one, I found out I was in it, so I basically got, like, a second chance. And I found out, like, two days before that spelling bee. So, I started practicing. And obviously, since I only have two days to practice for that, I was like, okay, obviously I can't make this, but then I won it.
Are there ever any words that you feel stumped by, but then they just come to you.
So, like hard words? Yeah, there are a few. So, there's one called trompe l’oeil, and it's spelled T, R, O, M, P, E, l, O, E, I, L. And there's pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
That’s one word?
Yeah, and it's spelled P, N, E, U, M, O, N, O, U, L, T, R, A, M, I, C, R, O, S, C, O, P, I, C, S, I, L, I, C, O, V, O, L, C, A, N, O, C O, N, I O, S, I, S.
What are your classmates and friends say about this? I mean, I'm sure your vocabulary is a bit more expanded than a lot of theirs, and just the conversations you have with them, what are they saying?
I mean, half of the words I say they think this is crazy. They're actually hosting a watch party for me next week.
That's really, you have to be so excited for that, I'm sure.
Yeah.
Are you nervous?
Yes, the whole school will be watching me, and like a lot of people I know, will be watching so.
The whole nation will be watching you, not just the school.
Oh yeah, even internationally, yeah.
That doesn't scare you?
It does. It does. I mean, I can't believe I'm going to be on, like, one of the most famous stages in the United States.
What are your favorite words, or kind of words to spell?
Ooh, I like Makgadikgadi Pan. It's spelled M, A, K, G, A, D, I, K, G, A, D, I, space, P, A, N, S. Makgadikgadi Pans.
What does that mean?
It's a type of salt water pan in Africa. I don't know. Ever since I found it like, I think it's maybe my favorite word.
What makes it your favorite word?
I think it's like every time I tell people, their reaction is really funny.
Kind of like my face on the Zoom call that you're seeing every time you say a word, and I'm utterly shocked by it? I was going to ask you to spell words, but I honestly couldn't come up with anything as good as the words you just spelled for me. So, I will leave that there. My vocabulary is definitely not up to par with yours. And is there anything you want our listeners to know about you or how you're feeling about the championship?
I do want to say thank you to a like a lot of people. I have so many people supporting me. I have so many friends. I mean, there's Ila, there's Coco, and then my parents, they're really supportive. My teachers are really supportive.
Krrisha Agrawal is a fifth-grader from Woodland Hill Montessori School in Rensselaer. She is heading to D.C. to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Tuesday.
