Lila makes history as the first African American winner of the competition.
Quick question: how do you spell “incredible?” Today, there’s a new spelling in the dictionary: L-I-L-A. This talented 14-year-old triumphed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, making history as the first African American victor in the event’s long-standing history. The only previous Black winner was Jody-Anne Maxwell from Jamaica in 1998. Young achievers like Lila are simply delightful!
This year’s spelling bee featured 209 participants from five different countries, including the US, the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, and Japan. Lila clinched the title (along with a $50,000 prize) by successfully spelling the word “murraya,” a genus of citrus plants. But this isn’t Lila’s first brush with greatness; she holds three Guinness World Records for her ability to dribble multiple basketballs at once.
Lila even starred in a commercial alongside NBA superstar Steph Curry.
When Lila realized she had won, she joyfully twirled as confetti rained down from above. “It felt amazing to win because I’ve been working on this for about two years. Winning the whole thing was like a dream come true,” she shared with CNN. Lila expressed that in that moment, she felt like she had awakened from a surreal dream.
According to NBC News, Lila was aware she would be the first African American winner and understood the significance of representation. She noted that Black children watching the tournament would see someone who resembled them. The article highlighted MacNolia Cox, who was the first Black finalist in 1936, though she faced severe restrictions, including being barred from staying in the same hotel as her fellow competitors.
First Lady Jill Biden extended her congratulations to Lila for her remarkable achievement.
The spelling bee was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic, marking the first cancellation since World War II.
Lila’s recent victory is just the beginning for this accomplished teen. She has aspirations to play basketball at Harvard before possibly pursuing a career with NASA or coaching in the NBA. Additionally, she has shown interest in fields such as neuroscience and gene editing.
Lila’s Instagram account, which has surged to 28,000 followers thanks to her success, captured her journey to the national spelling bee.
“I’ll find something else to do,” she said confidently. “Trust me.”
For more engaging content, check out our other posts, including insights on home insemination kit and resources for female infertility. If you’re interested in learning about prevention tactics, you can find that here too.
Popular Search Queries:
- how to prepare for a spelling bee
- tips for winning a spelling bee
- famous spelling bee winners
- what to expect in a spelling bee
- spelling bee word lists
In summary, Lila Avant-Garde’s remarkable achievement at the Scripps National Spelling Bee not only makes her a role model for young people everywhere but also signifies a historic moment in the competition’s legacy. With dreams of playing basketball at Harvard and ambitions in science, Lila’s future looks incredibly bright.