[**Brian**]

WASHINGTON — Cool and collected, Kavya Shivashankar wrote out every word on her palm and always ended with a smile. The 13-year-old Kansas girl saved the biggest smile for last, when she rattled off the letters to "Laodicean" to become the nation's spelling champion.

The budding neurosurgeon from Olathe, Kan., outlasted 11 finalists Thursday night to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee, taking home more than $40,000 in cash and prizes and, of course, the huge champion's trophy.

After spelling the winning word, which means lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics, Kavya got huge hugs from her father, mother and little sister.

Source: LINK - Times Argus

Amazing - I was watching this last night and I was impressed - and I thought I could spell really well

Brian

Edited by **Brian**, 29 May 2009 - 05:28 AM.

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I kinda drifted in and out of it.. spelling really isn't something that fascinates me.

But winning $40,000 for spelling words I've never even heard of is pretty impressive.

[mpascal]

I kinda drifted in and out of it.. spelling really isn't something that fascinates me.

But winning $40,000 for spelling words I've never even heard of is pretty impressive.

[BHowett]

Spelling was never really my thing…. Just ask sari I think she followed me around the forum for my first year thumping me with a stick every time I spelled something wrong.

Now I use spell check most of the time.

[Cold Titanium]

Now I use spell check most of the time.

I bow before spell check