Schools
Brandon Academy Student Preps for Scripps National Spelling Bee
Seventh-grader Nikitha Chandran is getting ready for the May 30-31 competition in Washington, D.C., TBO.com reports.
A seventh-grader is preparing to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.
Nikitha Chandran, 12, won the 2012 Tampa Bay Area Regional Spelling Bee on March 4, the Tampa Bay Times reports, as her correct spelling of "idiosyncratically" propelled her to a trip to the nation's capital.
There, the Valrico resident will be competing against about 270 spellers in the May 30-31 bee that will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.
Find out what's happening in Brandonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Chandran's preparations, both on her own and with English teacher Betina Simon, come "in between cheerleading practice, piano lessons, show-choir performances and maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average," TBO.com reports.
Though the $30,000 first-place prize would be nice, parents Nadar and Sumita Chandran told the news site they're shooting for a top-50 finish for Nikitha at the national bee.
Find out what's happening in Brandonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"If she can't get in the top 50, that's fine, too," her father, Nadar Chandran, told TBO.com. "There's no pressure. Whatever she does, we're proud of her."
Read more about Brandon Academy's spelling ace in TBO.com's story.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
