JUPITER, Fla. — More than 200 of the best spellers from across the country and around the world are converging on Washington, D.C. to get ready for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
One of those spellers is from Palm Beach County.
Meet Varshitha Bojanapati, an all-star speller from Jupiter Middle School who's competing on the big stage at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
"That's always been my dream," Bojanapati said.
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The student said she loves learning new words and their meanings.
So what's her favorite word to spell?
"Probably bouillabaisse," Bojanapati said. "It's a french stew. It's spelled b-o-u-i-l-l-a-b-a-i-s-s-e."
A perfect score on a third grade spelling test sparked Bojanapati's spelling bee bug. She won a school bee this year and then the regional competition.
"It's really exciting but also nerve-racking," Bojanapati said. "You learn how to be calm under pressure, and you also get to learn and have a good vocabulary."
"She's very detailed-oriented and she is dedicated and a straight-A student across the board," said Christine McAlexander, Bojanapati's language arts teacher. "What I really like is she is very humble."
McAlexander helped Bojanapati establish a spelling bee club at Jupiter Middle School.
"After I got to know her and saw how passionate she was about the club and how dedicated she was to studying, I couldn't say no," McAlexander said.
But now it's time for the big bee.
All the competing spellers know is that all of the words at the Scripps National Spelling Bee have to come from a dictionary. But they don't use one of those to study anymore. Now it's all done online.
Bojanapati uses a website called SpellPundit to study three to four hours a day and five to six hours on the weekend.
"First I read over each word and then I test myself and then retest myself on the ones I got wrong," Bojanapati said. "I also study root words and write flashcards and sticky notes and hang them on my wall."
With that determination and dedication, Bojanapati is ready to take on the best of the best.
"Hoping for a word that I know," Bojanapati said.
And leave the competition buzzing behind her.
A few of the teachers at Jupiter Middle School said they'll be having a watch party to cheer on their champion speller.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee begins on Tuesday at 9 a.m. You can watch on the streaming channels ION and Bounce. For more information, click here.
