We Have A W-I-N-N-E-R! 8th Grader Zaila Avant-Garde Makes History At Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Can you spell Murraya? (Hint: it’s a type of tree)

14-year-old Zaila Avant-Garde from New Orleans nailed it during the Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday and walked away as the first-ever African-American winner in the competition’s nearly 100-year history.

The only black winner before was Jody-Anne Maxwell, representing Jamaica in 1998.

Avant-Garde, an 8th grader, receives $50,000.

Other words she had to navigate: querimonious, solidungulate, and Nepeta

Avant-Garde also holds three Guinness World Records for basketball, including the most “bounce juggles” in 1 minute.

Are you a top-notch speller or thank goodness for spellcheck?

7-9-21